


A Little Help

by Vblume



Category: Naruto
Genre: BAMF Haruno Sakura, Dysfunctional Family, F/M, Idiots in Love, Itachi is too shy, Passionate Itachi, Sakura is worried, Sasuke is desperate, Sasuke under pressure, Scheming Sasuke
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-09-18
Packaged: 2019-10-03 13:20:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 47
Words: 96,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17284805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vblume/pseuds/Vblume
Summary: After a disaster with Sakura, Sasuke finds love elsewhere, but can't move forward with it until Itachi marries. Deciding to chip away at his brother's shy and controlled behavior so things can get rolling again didn't turn out quite the way he thought.





	1. Chapter 1

Sasuke sighed, trying his best not to be frustrated.

Several acceptable kunoichi had approached his brother tonight. They were all rejected.

While itachi excused himself to the bathroom, Sasuke dug around in his pocket to find the tablet, quickly

dropping it in his brother’s newly ordered drink. Itachi was 23 now for crying out loud, far from innocent in

every way but women.

Sasuke had been on dozens of seduction missions, something Itachi was not allowed to do as clan heir, and

was plenty ready to settle down now. Itachi’s shyness was holding him up. He couldn’t marry until his brother did.

Yes, he was being manipulative here, but it was for a good cause. His brother was too nervous to risk approaching

women at this point and Sasuke was sure he had decided not to rather than possibly humiliate himself, even though

half of these women would gladly lay down and spread their legs for the Uchiha heir at the asking.

Itachi had introduced him to the woman he wanted to marry.

Why can’t he give a little help in return?

_This should hurry things along,_ Sasuke thought, smirking to himself and stirring his brother’s drink. Now he just

had to dig a little to figure out which one of these girls Itachi would accept, get the two of them in a room together.

Once his brother sobered from the aphrodisiac he would be duty bound to marry whoever he laid with, and there

were several acceptable options here. He just needed to tag along to make sure it wasn’t someone fully unworthy he ended up with.

Itachi returned, sitting at the bar, curled towards it and trying to make himself invisible.

Something must have happened.

“What?”, Sasuke asked.

“I was followed into the restroom, by _female_ patrons.”

The younger brother smirked, deciding to tease,”You didn’t oblige them?”

“Sasuke!”, Itachi hissed lowly, glaring.

“No one to your fancy here then?”, Sasuke asked. Maybe they should go somewhere else?

Itachi picked up his drink and took a large gulp, averting his eyes. “No.”

That was clearly a lie. Whoever he liked, she was here, and it wasn’t the girls that followed him.

“Who followed you?”, the younger asked, mentally ready to cross them off the list.

But his brother wasn’t listening. His eyes were on a petite girl he knew all too well, her hips gyrating on the

dance floor, pink hair flying about her smiling face.

It would be all too easy to find out if she was the one he wanted.

“There’s Sakura. I’m going to say hi to her.”, Sasuke said, putting his drink down and heading to the dance floor.

He came up behind her, sliding his hands onto her hips, making her pause and look back.

”Sasuke?”, she frowned.

His heart panged a little. He had wanted to try with her and she with him, until she found out about his missions.

Itachi had let her up to his room while he was training to leave a present for him and one of his scrolls was out in

plain view on his desk. How he could have been so careless that day he didn’t know.There was no dragging her

heart back to him after that. He could not promise her faithfulness and she wanted back what she could give.

He couldn’t blame her for that, and now he had found someone else who understood. He looked over to his brother.

Itachi’s shoulders were tense, eyes glued to them. Sasuke whispered in Sakura’s ear,”I think you have an admirer.”

Sakura looked back at him over her shoulder, their faces very close,”Oh really?”

A quick side glance back to the bar revealed his brother glaring at the floor, fists balled.

Oh, his brother had it bad. In about 5 minutes, the drug would take effect.

They could each do alot worse, he supposed.

Sakura would be a challenge to redirect. 

Worse, she might be able to cure him before things got out of hand the way he needed them to so he could

have his own love story.The two of them might hold out another decade or so without outside influence.

“Did someone steal your heart already, Sakura? Or are you available?”

He had genuinely tried to keep her love life off his radar after they parted ways. Naruto had tried to bring up

her crushes and such but Sasuke refused to hear it, choosing to move on instead, much to the irritation of their

blonde friend. Sakura herself had been very tight lipped, never trying to make him jealous or mentioning anyone.

Come to think of it, imagining her with his brother was unpleasant.

Sakura sighed irritably,”I want a drink.”, and headed to the bar.

Itachi stiffened as they approached, turning back to his drink and gulping down the rest.

_He’s drinking it too fast dammit!_

“Good evening Sakura-san.”, Itachi greeted, voice smooth and soft.

Sakura shivered a little. She had been trying to think of a way to talk to him, but there was no way that wasn’t

awkward. People would say she was still pining for Sasuke, that he was just a replacement, but it wasn’t true.

Itachi was entirely different, and though he was beautiful like most Uchihas, she had found herself enamored

with him as a good man and a trusted confidant. When he finally decided to reveal himself to her, she was

stunned with the beauty of who he was. She thought she sensed interest in him as well, but she was in no

hurry to make a fool of herself….again.

“Good evening Itachi-san”, she said, smiling brightly.

He wasn’t blushing, just tipsy. Right?

Sasuke was standing too close to her,”Are you ever going to answer my question?”

“What question?”, Itachi asked.

Sakura blushed heavily, waving her hand dismissively and nervously giggling,”Oh nothing,nothing.”

Sasuke rolled his eyes. _Idiots._ ”I asked her if she cares about anyone or is seeing someone.”

Itachi answered for her,”No, she doesn’t, she isn’t.”

Sasuke and Sakura both stared at Itachi incredulously at his presumption.

Sakura narrowed her eyes at the Uchiha heir, “Yes I do like somebody!”

Itachi blinked,”Why didn’t you tell me?”

_They must be closer than I knew_ , Sasuke thought, internally kicking himself for cutting off Naruto.

Maybe he’d been trying to tell him that she liked Itachi?

Sakura stumbled a bit in her words,”Well...I told Naruto but he...I..”

Itachi clutched his stomach suddenly, letting out a soft grunt.

Sakura forgot her embarrassment for a moment.”What’s wrong?”

“I feel strange.”, Itachi replied, being sure to keep his eyes off her.

“Let me see.”, Sakura stepped closer to him, hand already lighting up with chakra.

Itachi _really_ needed to get away from Sakura. He was always teased a bit by her presence but her reprimand at

answering the question instead had gotten him too excited to hide it if he stood up. Concerned that his

deviancy would be discovered by more than himself tonight, which was disconcerting enough really, he frantically

wracked his fuzzy mind for a means of escape.

“I’ll grab a private room so you can examine him.”, Sasuke said quickly and darted off before his brother could protest.

Sakura put a hand to Itachi’s forehead, brow furrowing,”You have a high fever.”

Then she froze. Were those _Itachi’s_ fingers brushing the back of her legs?

“Itachi-san?”

He put his head forward to rest just under her breasts, breathing unsteadily.

“I’m sorry. I just want to touch something.”

Then Sakura knew. Someone had drugged his drink.

She put her hand on top of his silken hair, eyes brimming with compassion,”It’s alright. You’ve been drugged.

I’ll help you wash it out of your system ,Ok?”

He nodded and breathed her in. She always smelled so good.

Sasuke appeared again, helping Itachi stand,”Follow me.”


	2. The Room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sakura tries to cool Itachi off, getting plenty warm herself.

His brother had been clutching her legs just beneath her skirt, nuzzling her midsection. It hurt a little

still, but Itachi would be good to her and she deserved that. Sakura was very resistant to physicality just

like Itachi. In a bout of selfishness Sasuke wasn’t proud of he had tried to bed her, convince her to stay, but

she had resisted and she _had_ wanted him. That’s why he brought the water, the drugged water, for her

back with him this time. She wouldn’t check anything he gave her. Once she settled Itachi on the bed,

Sasuke demanded she drink it before tending to him.

“Don’t work on my brother half drunk and dehydrated. Father will never forgive you.”

She huffed and downed the water. “There. Satisfied? Now get out of here so I can do this!”

Sasuke nodded and left, standing just outside so they weren’t interrupted. When she turned back to Itachi he

was covered with a blanket, knees up.

“Who did this to me?”, he said weakly.

“Someone who wanted to take advantage of you.”, Sakura replied.

If she ever found the bitch she’d pummel her.

Sakura paused, trying to remain professional,”The drug makes you want to be _intimate_ with someone.”

His composure had surely cracked,”Someone drugged me to have sex with me?”

“It looks that way.”, she said, catching a breath before approaching the bed. His eyes were glazed, half lidded,

but looking confused. She had to take the blanket of off him to keep him cooled and had a good idea what condition

he would be in when she did. Her inner was angrily ranting that she finally gets to see the guy she’s been caring

for and lusting after erect and she was supposed to be fixing it, and not in any way she actually wanted to.

Just her luck.

“I can only be with my wife. I am not allowed…. flings.”

“Oh. So you’ve never...”

He looked away, embarrassed,”No.”

Sakura shrugged,”Me neither, don’t worry.”

“What about Sasuke?” he asked, unable to help himself.

Though Itachi knew very well what happened to set the end of their relationship in motion, and may possibly

have had a hand in it, he never asked her about it and she never offered. The morning after he had seen her eyes

red and weary in town after her shift he had appeared at her door, asking her to spar. When she declined, he simply

told her his resemblance to his brother might make her feel better and she smiled at him despite herself and agreed.

She had given him a good run that day and he’d come home exhilarated from the intense exercise, finding it hard to

sleep though he should have been tired enough. He anticipated her need and cheered her up after his brother had lied

to her, handling any other woes he saw afterwards in much the same way.

“I will probably end up marrying a civilian.”, she said. “Most shinobi have to go on seduction missions and

I need someone faithful. I know it sounds strange because of what we do, but that’s what I want.”

This was her very practiced speech, the one that explained what happened with Sasuke without blame and anger,

and why she wouldn’t be revisiting trying things out with him. It also helped any overzealous shinobi who asked

her out to stay away. Men knowing they would be despised for some aspect of their work was like pouring ice down

their pants.

Itachi happened to find her cultural rebellion fascinating. Though he was required to live the way she wished to,

he also would have preferred it this way.

“Is the one you care for a civilian then?”

He took no offense or demanded she stick to the status quo like many of her peers had. He just accepted her, asked to

be a part of her life and never berated her. How could someone so sexy make her feel so at ease?

“No.”

She removed his blanket, trying not to let her eyes wander to the straining bulge in his pants.

She grabbed the hem of his shirt, pulling it up along his solidly built torso to get it off of him.

When her fingers brushed his sides on the way he let out a pleasured sigh and heat pooled in her

abdomen hearing it. He was burning up. Was there anywhere on him she could look without feeling overheated herself?

“Tell me who he is Sakura-san. Do I know him?”

After feeling her hands on him and seeing the obvious desire in her eyes he was losing it. He dared to hope

the shinobi she was referring to was him.

She stammered,” May..maybe we should get you to the hospital. I’m not so sure we should be doing this here.”

His lips curled upwards a bit. He was clearly having an effect on her. He didn’t mind it at all.

Then a sudden flash of intuition lit up his mind.

“Sasuke. It had to be Sasuke. He was the only one who had access to my drink.”

“Why would he do that?”, Sakura asked, confused.

He would have to say it first. Sakura wasn’t one of the graspy, too forward women outside of this room.

“He has figured out that I want you.”, he replied.

 


	3. Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sakura's dose kicks in, her friends eavesdrop.

Sakura was red and flushed, her breathing shallow. 

She did not say she didn’t want him too, her body giving signals of arousal at his confession.

His eyes flicked down to see her rub her thighs together tightly, goosebumps covering them under the

hem of her dress. He glanced at her chest, seeing two little nipples pebbled beneath a layer of silky red fabric.

She couldn’t have been wearing a bra.

Oh fuck.

_ I will not grab her I will not grab her I will not grab her. _

If he could get her to admit she wanted him too he would happily take her now if she would let him. For hours.

”I don’t think I’m ready for marriage just yet.”, she finally said.

To Itachi, she already provided him with most of what he needed from a wife. 

She admired and respected him.

She appreciated his help.

She was a wonderfully fun companion, she understood him or was willing to.

She packed his gear for missions, helped him with reports for ease, checked in on his parents and brother , 

spoke to others on his behalf.

She loved his family and they adored her. He loved and wanted her.

For him, the only thing missing was the connection of their bodies.

He had been worried about Sasuke's feelings, but he did this to put them together.

He understood her not feeling ready for marriage but his body was beginning to protest. 

He’d been hard for a long time now, precum leaking steadily from his shaft, and he  _ needed  _ release.

Or she could heal him like she planned to. Actually, why was it taking her so long to start? 

Maybe she was scared to get close to him when he was like this?

“Then please heal me, Sakura. The arousal is maddening. Or you can go while I ..take care of things.”

Sakura’s hand grasped vainly at her stomach, eyes pointedly away from him.

“I can’t heal you like this. I think I’ve been drugged too.” 

His brother would certainly suffer, physically, for this stunt,“Can’t you heal yourself first?”

“I’m having a hard time isolating it and drawing it out. If I go out there, like this, I might..”

He confessed to stop the guilt and fear in her that he was also struggling with.

”Me too.” 

Her pretty jade eyes finally met his,“I don’t want you to be with anyone else.”

Itachi nearly sighed with relief. That was almost good enough. Just a little clearer..

“Why Sakura?”

“Because I want you too.”

She stood then, sliding the straps of her dress off her shoulders, letting it fall to the floor.

The heat in his gaze on her body dragged a wanton sound out of her throat.

That was all he could take.

He kicked off his shoes and pants, shoving his hand in his boxers to rub and stroke himself while he looked at her.

He shuddered as he wrapped his hand around his member, watching her lick her lips as her hands went in 

her own panties to pleasure herself as well, raking her eyes all over him.

“Sakura.”

He wanted her so much. He would stay on this bed, but if she came to it, she would be leaving as Mrs. Uchiha.

* * *

* * *

 

 

Sasuke thought outside the door.

Had his brother had his eyes on his former girlfriend the whole time?

Before his thoughts could darken on that subject too much he heard a familiar voice calling him.

“Hey Sasuke! What are you doing here?”

A blonde head of long hair and mischievous blue eyes came into his field of vision.

_ I bet Ino knows if Sakura likes my brother. Let’s see. _

“Taking my brother out to find a wife.”, he replied.

Ino frowned, looking uncharacteristically put out at this news.

“He wants to get married, huh?”

“I don’t know.", Sasuke snapped, "I’m just tired of waiting for him to do it so  _ I _ can.”

Ino scanned the bar, unperturbed by Sasuke’s attitude,”So where is he?”

Sasuke smirked,”Have someone in mind for him?”

“Well, uh, maybe..”

“I’m pretty sure you’re too late Ino.”, Sasuke interrupted, “He’s in the room behind me getting married right now.”

Ino wrinkled her nose,”Why would he, or _anyone_ , get married in a club?”

“Because all the clan heir has to do is sleep with her to make it official.”

“What?!!”, Ino screeched, making Sasuke wince.”Who’s in there with him Sasuke?”

Behind the door a soft, needy, feminine moan was overheard. One that made Sasuke’s insides tingle

and stomach drop all at once. One Ino could easily place. The two young adults at the door stood still 

and silent, ears tuned to the sounds of sex and it’s precursors.

If Sasuke hadn’t been a little mesmerized, he would have realized Naruto was making his way over. 

The one person that should be as far away from that door as possible right now.

“What’s going on in there guys?”, Naruto asked the listening duo, coming to a stop and looking curiously 

at Ino and Sasuke as they pressed their ears to the door.

Ino shushed him,”Be quiet! We’re trying to listen to the sexiest Uchiha get it on.”

Sasuke stood and glared at her,”Tch.”

Naruto slapped Sasuke on the back, chuckling,”Shisui gets all the girls, eh?”

Ino shot back,”Not him, it’s Itachi.”

Sasuke watched Naruto’s face drain of color, sadness clouding his eyes.

“Where’s Sakura?”, he asked Ino.

Then the music stopped, just long enough to hear Itachi’s voice clearly come through,

deep and trembling.

“Sakura.”

Sasuke saw realization dawn on his friend and Naruto’s face set into battle mode.

”You Bastard!! I’m gonna kick your ASS!”

 


	4. Hideaway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A visit to the past, Naruto breaks down the door, Itachi and Sakura escape.

_Flashback:_

_Itachi made his way down the stairs, stopping halfway down them when he saw Sasuke moping pitifully_

_over his coffee, then turned to go back to his room. Sasuke was still so raw from Sakura’s rejection._

_How could he possibly comfort his sibling? There wasn’t a lot he could say without hurting Sasuke more_

_once he figured it out. He had laid out the scroll for her when he felt her approaching, hoping she would_

_come up and see it. He laid awake the night before that scroll’s mission commenced, the sounds of Sasuke’s_

_sorrow reverberating too loud in Itachi’s ears as his little brother packed for the mission he had lost the love_

_of his life over, though there had already been many before it._

_Seeing the weight of Sakura’s agony pained him as well._

_His conscience niggled at him to lighten it until he appeared at her door asking to spar._

_Sasuke and Sakura had decided not to talk for a while, so when his little brother returned from his mission_

_unharmed, Itachi met the pinkette on the roof of the hospital to let her know._

_She asked him a question he had fully expected to hear from Sasuke someday._

_“Why did you do it?”_

_He inclined his head in question._

_She clarified,“You left the scroll out for me.”_

_He gave her a look of apology._

_Sakura nodded in acknowledgement of it,”I forgive you.”_

_Stunned, he asked her,”Why?”_

_She took a deep breath and told him,”It would have hurt Sasuke-kun to keep it from me, hurt him to fail me_

_that much when it was too late to free me from living with it.”_

_That’s_ _exactly_ _why he did it._

_“You are a wise woman, Sakura-san.”_

_Her eyes teary, but smiling at him, she said,”He’s lucky to have you.”_

_He hadn’t meant to fall for her, but that was the beginning of his own descent into the beautiful madness_

_of loving Sakura Haruno._

* * *

 

Sakura’s eyes settled on Itachi’s impressive length in his hand, forearm corded with tension as he gripped and

stroked what she wanted between her thighs more than anything right now.

The head of his cock was dark pink, nearly red, so shiny and lickable as she watched him handle himself.

She ached for his touch, her fingers too slick to give her the friction she wanted now. Then he picked up the pace,

powerful body arching up into his hand quickly, a look of pleasured agony on his face and then… he came,

her name on his lips. It pushed her _so_ close.

Just a little more..

Hearing Naruto’s voice, Sakura froze, hand stilling at the sound of her irate friend just outside.

Her first thought was to go out there and injure him. Severely. Then she heard a bang on the door, realizing

Naruto had every intention of coming in _here_.

There was only one thing Itachi could think of to do.

“Come here, Sakura. Quickly.”

She obeyed and he wrapped his arms around her.

By the time the door swung open they were gone.

“Where’d they go?”, Naruto asked, scanning the room.

“Dobe, look.”, Sasuke pointed to the dress Sakura left on the floor.”There’s no saving her now.”

Naruto looked defeated,”How could you let him do this to her Sasuke? You were right here! I know things didn’t

work out, but I thought you cared for her at least a little.”

Sasuke wanted to correct him, but shelved it. It wasn’t time for that. Matter of fact, there would never be a time

for that again. He told him what mattered now. “Itachi cares for her.”

Naruto brightened a bit,”Really?”

Sasuke tried to choose his words carefully,”They seem to...know each other well. Have they been spending time together?”

Always one to rub it in, Naruto responded,”Oh, so _now_ you want to know!”

 _Not really_ , Sasuke thought, keeping his mouth shut. He stared at Naruto until his blonde friend felt the need to

fill the void of silence, preferably with useful information.

As predicted, his blonde friend sighed and said,”She’s been in love with him for a while.”

Sasuke’s heart flinched. For the love of Kami, _when_ would he stop hurting over her?

He shrugged, refusing to show it,”We need to tell my father.”

* * *

* * *

 

Itachi opened his eyes slowly. This was his hideaway, a special place he went to escape that only Shisui knew about.

No one would sense them here. Sakura had been left wanting, he knew it, and it was a cruel temptation.

His head was a little clearer now, not quite enough to be mortified that he had just masturbated in front of

the woman he loved, but coming along to it. Her breasts rubbed deliciously just beneath his pecs and he tightened

his arm around her to push them even closer together.

If he kissed her, if he wasn’t very careful, he wouldn’t let her go.

Feeling her tremble against him as she began leaving soft, warm, open mouthed kisses on his chest was

making him rock hard all over again. He needed to think before he made a mistake he couldn’t remedy.

If he took her now and made her his bride she might abandon him. She had said herself she wasn’t ready to marry.

Leaving her vulnerable like this on her own could cause her great harm. He couldn’t let her leave, or resist her all night.

Being with her now and keeping it a secret seemed the only safe option to protect her and any possible future

they might have. When his mind was right he could find out why she was resistant to marriage.

Sakura tilted her head up, tracing her tongue along his collarbone, and the reasonable thoughts he’d tried to hold onto fled.

He bent down to catch her lips, his hands reaching down to be filled with the firm globes of her ass as he lifted her to him.

He could feel it coming over him, a frustration that urged him to fight for what he needed.

With the last of his resolve, he spoke to her.

“I can wait for you to be ready to marry, but I don’t think I can wait for…. _this_ anymore.

I can take you and tell no one. If you don’t want that, run away from me now.”

Sakura took a moment to marvel at his strength, his restraint, as she felt a drop of desire leave her body.

“Help me. Be with me. Please.”

 


	5. Spider

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke talks to Fugaku and his fiance.

Sasuke and Naruto walked the streets of Konoha, making their way to the police department.

“Your father hates me, Sasuke. Why do I have to go?”

“As a witness.”

“To what?”

“My brother having sex with her means he has to marry her.”

Naruto was visibly confused,“But you..”

Sasuke scowled, cutting him off, “I’m not in line to lead the clan, idiot. It’s different.”

“Oh.”, the blonde said, understanding. Then, after a pause, ”Well, Sakura will be happy about it, right?”

“Hn.”

They approached the police station and the front desk waved them through to Fugaku’s office.

Sasuke internally cringed upon seeing Shisui’s presence in the room and teasing glint, obviously delighted

his favorite object of harassment had shown up.

Sasuke gave his father a nod of acknowledgement upon entering, “Father.”

The Uchiha head was focused on his paperwork, but returned it,“Sasuke.”

The young man got right to the point of his visit.

“Itachi has joined with Haruno Sakura.”

Fugaku paused in his writing but did not look up,”Where is he now?”

Naruto answered,“We don’t know. When we got in the room they were gone.”

Sasuke balled up his fist, wishing he could slug Naruto for opening his mouth about that.

He was _supposed_ to be helping.

“Then how do you know?”, Fugaku asked, still scanning through the papers on his desk.

“We heard them.”, Sasuke replied, looking straight at Shisui for his reaction.

Shisui smiled.

Fugaku’s eyes finally looked up and landed on Naruto,”You heard this as well?”

The blonde shifted uncomfortably, suddenly realizing he might be in for it when Sakura caught up to him

for listening to her, even by accident.

“Y..Yes, sir.”, he said, more concerned about leaving this office than being here now.

Shisui spoke up,”I know where he is uncle. Do you want me to get him?”

Fugaku thought a moment,”Bring them supplies, stand guard, be another witness. I will talk to my son

when he returns. Arrange their leave with the Hokage.”

“What about Sakura?”, Naruto asked.

Fugaku cleared his throat, eyeing his youngest son.

”Sasuke, prepare a room for her. You may go.”

Sasuke didn’t move, made his request instead.

“Father, I would like permission to marry.”

Fugaku frowned at his son, his stern voice leaving the matter closed.

“No. We must prove Itachi’s marriage first. Now do as you were told.”

Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest but nodded and turned to leave, grabbing Naruto by the elbow and dragging him along.

Outside, Naruto asked him,”Why are you in such a hurry to get married, Sasuke?”

His dark haired friend scoffed at him,”You’re a blabbermouth.”

“Fine, don’t trust me then asshole!” Naruto grumped, but didn’t push it any further.

Something was going on with Sasuke, and demanding the truth would only get him shut out.

* * *

* * *

 

 

When Itachi  introduced Izumi to Sasuke as his fiance, she could see it in the younger Uchiha’s eyes.

He wouldn’t mind having a piece of her at all.

It would have been a hot affair, and if Itachi ever found out about it he would likely let it go.

She could have money, power, a trustworthy and attractive husband, and a lusty young buck on top of it.

It was all ripe for the plucking.

 

She screwed her fiance’s brother in earnest once his break up with Sakura was official.

The boy’s jealousy of his older sibling and his heartbreak over his girlfriend made him an easy target.

His fervor in the bedroom and combative attitude kept her hungry.

 

She had known Itachi a long time, all their lives really, so when she saw him on the river bank with a soft smile on

his face and dreams in his eyes, she realized his heart had been captured.

The guilt of watching him dutifully suffer for her when his heart was elsewhere would eventually get to her.

She found she _did_ care about Itachi enough to want something better for him.

He was lucky his little brother had been hooked.

By no means was she giving up being married into the main family.

 

She broke off the engagement then, smiling when she saw the relief and hope settle into Itachi's familiar frame,

wishing him all the love in the world. She wasn’t _completely_ heartless, after all.

He had never been anything but utterly kind to her, even knowing well what she was.

 

The trouble Sasuke caused wasn’t so hard for her to handle, just enough to be a challenge really.

Right now he was a fly to her spider. As he got older and wiser she might have to try a lot harder to reign him in.

Knowing Sasuke would never commit without pressure and Itachi would wait forever for whoever he wanted,

she let her birth control slip to get knocked up. She told Sasuke, then gave him the pills for Itachi, sent him

on his way to make things right.There was no guilt in it. She was the woman Sasuke deserved and she knew it.

Itachi, on the other hand, clearly deserved someone better.

 

Sasuke knocked on her window briefly, then let himself in.

“How’d it go?”, she asked, putting on a bored face and plucking at her comforter.

“He married Sakura.I told Father.”

_Shit_ . _The one girl that was actual competition._

Sakura was a career woman, an unparelled medic, hardly in a hurry to bear heirs.

Itachi would respect her wishes far and above the clan's.

If Itachi died leaving Sakura childless, she might have very unwanted company.

It would be up to Sasuke to give her one.

Sasuke watched her very carefully, black eyes scanning for every clue.

Izumi was much too good at hiding her reactions.

She was slipping a bit right now though. _Good_.

He glanced out the window,”I might end up having her after all.”

He didn’t have to say it. They both knew.

Izumi smirked. So he wanted to fight before the fucking?

Typical, and she had to admit she wasn’t totally averse.

She put in her ante of unnecessarily said truths,” Even a drugged Itachi wouldn’t fuck someone he didn’t want.

He must love her, and he’s honorable enough to _keep_ her.  You couldn't get into her before, and I know you must have tried.

I bet she’s having her fair share of him _right now_.”

It was too easy to rile him, but he left her some noteworthy bites and bruises this time, and plenty sore in between the legs.

Once Itachi’s marriage was settled, Sasuke would be harassing his family to marry her and hide from the shame of a bastard child.

She would handle Sakura when and if she needed to.

All was still ripe for the plucking.

 


	6. Guard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Itachi and Sakura have their first time together, Shisui visits Sakura's apartment to find it isn't unoccupied and gets a rough welcome at Itachi's special place.

Itachi's dark eyes regarded the girl he loved.

Here she was, in his arms, asking to be his. For tonight.

He let his lips drift to hers again, soft and smooth and searching.

She ground her hips into his and he groaned, pushed back.

He ran his tongue along the seam of her lips and she opened for him.

Their tongues danced lovingly as they easily found the perfect angle.

A hand crept along her bottom nearer to her heat, fingers tracing the hem of her panties 

before dipping inside them. Sakura gasped as he let a finger enter her, the sound and the feel of her making 

him drop his head to rest on the wall, breath coming fast.

Her passage gripped his single digit snugly as he slowly slid it in and out of her.

He wasn’t so sure how he would fit inside her, surely it would hurt her.

When he met her eyes again, his sharingan was alight. Sakura flinched.

“I won’t hurt you. This is for you.”, he said softly, walking her over to the bed.

He laid her down gently, eyes taking her in as he slid her panties down her hips and off of her shapely legs. 

He kissed his way back up her body to her flushed face until he was fully over her.

She wrapped her legs around him, her expression quietly begging him to have her.

A large, warm hand met her cheek, bringing her eyes to his.

His sharingan was spinning as he looked into her eyes and Sakura felt all anxiety melt away, only the warmth 

of desire and safety in his presence filling her being. After a moment, he kissed her deeply, making her dizzy. 

She  pulled at his hair and it came out of it’s ponytail, fell around them like a curtain. She bucked her hips up toward

him again to encourage him to enter her. He rested his forehead on hers, lined up to her entrance, then took a 

breath before pushing inside of her all at once. Sakura felt herself being completely filled and stretched, without a hint of pain.

Itachi remained still once he was fully seated within, gripping her tightly, panting and grunting slightly. 

He had just done what he could to keep her out of pain, and now he was struggling not to pound into her like a wild animal.

He gathered and lifted her so she was atop him, not trusting himself to keep from ravaging her if she wasn’t in control. 

When he rested his back on the headboard bringing her with him he bottomed out, making Sakura cry out in pleasure.

His hands went down to her hips so he could assist her movements, bucking into her a little from underneath as he 

waited for her to move. Suddenly her hands were on his face, her lips kissing him passionately as she began riding him slow.

He came too close to the edge twice and stilled her, clamping his hands on her hips until it was safe again. 

He knew it wasn’t common for a woman to orgasm her first time, but he was going to try until the choice was taken away from him.

Her slick walls were soon quivering around him, every part of her body so beautiful he had to close his eyes so he could

wait for her lest he lose it at the sight. He brought a hand from her hip to the front of her, circling two fingers on her 

sensitive bundle of nerves until she was screaming for it. Then she clamped down on him and Itachi’s vision went white, 

a harsh moan tearing out of his throat as he came in her forcefully.

Sakura slumped her lovely petite body onto him to rest, clinging and kissing his neck in soft pecks that made him shiver.

”Oh Itachi, that was  _ so  _ nice.”

He was incredibly grateful she felt that way.

He hummed his agreement and laid down with her then, wrapping her in his arms.

Even if she never married him, at least he got to have her this way,

though he would be lying if he said he didn’t want her to be his right now more than anything in the world.

All Itachi ever wanted was something true to devote himself to.

He closed his eyes, letting the soft breathing from her warm body lull him to sleep.

* * *

* * *

 

Shisui went to Sakura’s apartment first to gather her things. 

When he arrived, the door was wide open, voices chattering away inside.

Well, one in particular.

“I can’t believe it! Sakura finally gets her happy ending! Sai, can you hand me that teddy bear? Naruto won that for her last year..”

His ears could easily identify Ino, she had mentioned Sai. The other one was Rokudaime, a chakra signature frequently 

found in the Uchiha compound, one he was attuned to sense any given day of the week.

When Shisui walked into Sakura’s bedroom, he realized what they were up to. 

Packing.

The Sixth greeted him first,”Ah, the first Uchiha arrives. When’s the caravan coming?”

As if he hadn’t already known Shisui was there.

“I just came to gather some things so she would be comfortable until they get back.”, he said, not daring to 

speak for Fugaku and whenever he planned to descend on Sakura. His reaction back at headquarters had 

seemed pleased at the news, but with him it was hard to tell for sure.

At least the Copy nin being here saved him a trip,”They will need a leave of three days, Hokage-sama.”

“Will do.”, Kakashi said lightly, then his tone took on an authoritative air,

”Just make sure I get to talk to her before your uncle does.”

Shisui frowned,“Is there a problem, Hokage-sama?”

The Rokudaime eye smiled, but there was something joyfully devious in it.

“Nothing Sakura can’t handle.”

With that cryptic note, Shisui gathered what he could and headed for his next stop.

On the way, he thought about his cousin, how smitten he was with the pink haired girl and how tortured

he’d been over how Sasuke might feel about it.

It was good that was settled now. It certainly seemed like Sasuke had his sights set elsewhere.

Sakura better not screw this up, but  _ anyone _ was better than Izumi.

When he approached the front gate, a crow landed on his shoulder, looking at him curiously.

He took another step toward the house and the bird nipped him.

Then he understood why he probably wasn’t allowed.

He turned to face the crow,”I’ll stay back, but let him know I’m here when he’s, um,  _ finished  _ with Sakura. I’ll be waiting outside.”

The crow flew back to it’s post on the fence, it’s ruby eyes never leaving him.

With the crows standing guard, Shisui figured he could risk a nap.

He woke a few hours later to see a relaxed looking Itachi, smiling down at him.

“Good morning, Shisui. Did you need me for something?”

“Uncle sent me.”

Itachi’s face fell,”What about?”

“Your marriage to Sakura.”, Shisui replied, thinking it pretty obvious.

Itachi sighed,”There hasn’t been one.”

  
  
  
  



	7. Sunrise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after, Shisui and Itachi have tea.

Itachi had been having a wonderful morning.

He was tired still but perfectly content, looking at Sakura’s sleeping

face as the sun rose behind her, brightening the sky.

Obito, a relative that had married an Inuzuka woman, had warned him to be

careful if he found himself loving a woman who was not an Uchiha.

“They do not feel the same rapture and obsession, it’s not hard to scare them off

with ours.”, he explained during his story of a very long and frequently tumultuous

courtship of his favored kunoichi,”If I had known that earlier, she would have been

mine far sooner.”

Itachi had nodded at the time and said nothing. Now, he had questions.

The bliss running through his veins at just being near her was becoming an exercise in tolerance.

Joy should be fleeting and occasional, not a constant.

How long could he feel this way without going mad, as he had seen in so many others?

He decided to tear himself away from the bed and find a way to be useful.

They were both very nude, and Sakura would need more than the underwear she

arrived in to make their way home. Luckily, he had spare clothes here.

He laid out a set of his own clothes for her that were most likely to be usable, got himself dressed,

and went into the kitchen to make tea. His largest crow came to tap on the window.

They had a guest, it seemed.

He was glad to see Shisui until he realized lying to his cousin and best friend about what really happened

with Sakura was the first test of his promise to her to tell no one.

When Itachi told him there was no marriage, his older cousin rolled his eyes.

“Try again, Itachi. Why are you lying to me? You were both too loud last night for me to believe that. ”

Itachi frowned at his lewd comment, offering no explanation for his lie.

Shisui looked Itachi over, managing a guess,“She doesn’t feel the same?”

“She’s … not ready yet.”

Shisui raised an eyebrow at him, as if to say, _“She sounded plenty ready last night.”_

Itachi explained, “We were drugged, by Sasuke.”

Shisui shook his head,”We better go inside. I have news, brought her some things.”, he lifted the pack,

motioning for Itachi to take it. Once inside, Shisui went to finish making the tea while Itachi ventured into

the bedroom to give Sakura something of her own to wear. He took a moment to look at her again as she slept peacefully.

The lips on her cherubic face were slightly parted,  hair swept out behind her like a fan of pink silk, arm tight

around his pillow in his absence. He laid out another outfit for her from her apartment, briefly considering

waking her so she could hear whatever Shisui had to say. Ultimately, he decided to let her sleep.

He took one last glance back at her before closing the door and walking back to the kitchen.

* * *

* * *

  


The close of the door was quiet, but woke her.

Sakura blinked her eyes and looked around the room for her lover.

He wasn’t there with her now, but he had gotten her things somehow, laid them out for her.

She heard some shuffling about in the kitchen. Itachi was likely making tea.

An ache between her legs made her wince, bringing visions of last night to her mind.

It couldn’t have been more perfect. He was so gentle.

She blushed as she thought of the time after, when he was not so gentle, but plenty gracious.

She had woken up when it was still dark outside.

The drug had worn off, but she wanted more of his touch.

She turned towards him, looking him over, eventually brushing her fingers over his body, marveling at

how gorgeous he was and how someone like him could want her so much.

When she began to feel his hand on her back caressing her, she looked into his face.

He was wide awake, watching her.

He knew she wanted him, sensed the tension remaining in her body.

“Do not be ashamed to need me.”, he’d said,” I’m here for you.”

She’d never even dreamed of feeling the way he made her feel then.

The thought that she might never feel that way again was too much to consider so early in the morning.

She rose and went to the adjoining bathroom, cleaned up the best she could with the small sink, dressed

in her own clothes and went to the door. She stopped short and listened. Someone else was here.

 

* * *

* * *

 

Itachi regarded Shisui expectantly once they were seated at the simple wooden table to enjoy their tea,

waiting for the news he’d mentioned.

“Sasuke asked to marry after he told Uncle about the two of you.”

Surprised, Itachi asked,“To whom?”

”He didn’t say, but Fugaku wasn’t happy about it, told him to wait until your marriage was proven.”

The Uchiha heir knew why he’d kept his own interest in Sakura hidden, but wondered why his brother had

done the same with whoever he was seeing now. Itachi was silent, but thoughtful.

Shisui continued,”When I came to Sakura’s apartment, Hokage-sama was there. He asked to see her before Uncle did.”

Kakashi was somehow doting and protective of Sakura while appearing nonchalant, and watching the interplay

between his strange former captain and present Hokage and his pink haired love interest never failed to amuse

Itachi. Sakura was not often nieve anymore, but she was adorably so when it came to her former sensei’s

teasing and games. He would probably be told to leave, but if there was any way to be in attendance for that,

he would keep his smirk to himself to observe their antics.

“So, I take it Sasuke is the only worry then?”, Shisui asked, having observed the expressions of his cousin as he took in the information.

“Hn.”

“What do you want me to say to Uncle, Itachi? He sent me as a witness.”

“Tell them we were poisoned, that Sakura healed us.”

“Sasuke and the Uzumaki boy told him they heard you two. Uncle told Sasuke to give her a room. Her loud

blonde friend was at Sakura’s place with her boyfriend packing her things. Hokage-sama was _expecting_ us.”

Itachi leaned on his propped elbow, rubbing his temple. This was a damn mess.

If Sakura wanted to marry him he would be overjoyed instead, but he knew pushing her would come back

to bite him. They just had to deal with this as best as they could.

“Are you really so surprised?”, Shisui asked.

No, he supposed he wasn’t, save for her friend Naruto acquiescing.That probably was a temporary acceptance

in Sasuke’s presence.The jinchuuriki host would need to be won over for the long haul, which meant ensuring

the boy had plenty of access to remain in Sakura’s life.

“To be honest, Shisui, I was fairly distracted last night.”

Shisui gave a lascivious grin,”I bet.”

Itachi sounded defeated,“I promised her to defend her honor.”

His cousin replied,”That may be impossible now. You’ll have to admit to something.”

Itachi blushed hotly, embarrassed to talk about it, but realizing it was the only out.

“At the club, we did keep our hands to ourselves, though we were in the same room.”

Shisui sighed,”I’m not looking forward to telling that to your father, Itachi.”

The younger cousin nodded.

Then the bedroom door opened.

 


	8. Rumours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An Engagement,Sasuke ruminates, runs into Shisui, gets a mission and some news from Kakashi.

Upon sighting Sakura, Shisui gulped down the rest of his tea, stood and excused himself.

He poofed away in a swirl of leaves.

Itachi was smirking at her,”You frightened him away.”

Despite the reeling feeling of vertigo that had come over her after all she heard,

she chuckled, remembering the alarmed look on Shisui’s face,”I guess so.”

Itachi must have known she was listening. He was clearly waiting to hear her thoughts.

Of course her friends would be happy for her.

Sasuke getting married and Kakashi, of all people, wanting an audience with her _about this_ was something

she wasn’t ready to think or talk about just yet.

So she asked him the question that had been on her mind the most.

“Why me?”

Itachi didn’t want to scare her away.

He needed to know what her answer would be like so it could be tailored similarly.

“You said you wanted me too. Why?”, he asked her.

Itachi did not appreciate sugar-coating, polite as he was.

“You’re different.”, she replied, knowing she did not have to mention who he was different from,”It wouldn’t

matter who you were, just that you’re different, and it’s you.”

He could see through her nervous babbling. She also required interpretation.

_You are not like Sasuke, my only basis of comparison._

_It is not because you are an Uchiha._

_I appreciate who you are as a person._

He told her his truth as well.

“I didn’t want it to be you, but you were who I wanted.”

Maybe someday they could just enjoy what they had instead of worrying over how it happened. She hoped so.

Itachi stood and held out his hand to her,“Bathe with me before we go?”

He saw the heat in her eyes at his request, decided on warning her.

”None of that. If we are engaged, I can touch you, but we cannot….do _that_.”

The visible want in her didn’t go away,“Can I touch _you_?”

Itachi raised an eyebrow. “Are we engaged?”, he asked.

She thought a moment, then nodded firmly,”Yes.”

His velvet eyes regarded her softly, unable to keep from halting at her lips for a brief moment.

* * *

* * *

  
  
  
If he was in another place, in another world, Sasuke wondered if he would be the same.

Would he always be denying a part of himself to make something else happen, no matter where or when

he was? Would it be as doomed to fail as wanting to set Sakura on fire for him in the marriage bed and

ignoring the part of him that screamed revulsion at touching his targets to gain experience so he could?

It had seemed the best way to ensure success, but now he knew why he really did it.

He was frightened, intimidated.

He had betrayed and abandoned so he could win, and now she was gone.

No, it was worse than that.

The woman he’d wanted was with the one person that had always been better than him.

Then again, he had the woman who had left that person behind.

Maybe he was worthy after all.

Izumi knew she only sparked his anger and lust. But at least he felt something.

Often something unpleasant, but familiar enough, like the death throes of the targets he released in, the

perfumed skin left charred on the floor of the hotel room, never to be lovely again. 

A messenger bird tapped on his window, calling Sasuke to the tower.

He crossed paths with Shisui on his way.

“Off to make my parents happy again Shisui?”, Sasuke sneered. _Fucking lap dog._

“Not this time.”

“How is that?”

“They didn’t marry. Sakura healed them.”

A dark expression came over Sasuke’s face,”I heard them.”

“What you heard”, Shisui explained,”was a mutual jerk off session because _you_ poisoned them.”

There it was again, that tingling temptation, tinged with pain and regret, at the picture this conjured in

Sasuke’s mind. His older cousin shot him a grave look before speaking again.

“Itachi will be looking for you for trying to make him soil his princess.”

If that is what Itachi truly thought, he would indeed. He needed to be innocent immediately.

Sasuke retorted,“I wasn’t looking for anything but the chance to have my own.”

Shisui was incredulous,”Really? Your brother seems to think you knew he had feelings for her and were giving your blessing.”

Chuckling and shaking his head in pity, Shisui added,”You’re a dead man.”

He should have known better than to talk to Shisui at all.

It was all a trap. From the first word.

Sasuke stalked off in silence, not wanting to make anything worse.

So Itachi had assumed the best of him, that he knew and was giving the go ahead.

He hadn’t thought through the consequences regarding Sakura other than she would be close to him again,

that she deserved someone who would be good to her and kind.

If he could help give that to her after breaking her heart, why not?

How was he to know this would’ve been anything other than a much needed fling Itachi felt guilty over,

marrying a worthy kunoichi  so Sasuke could get himself off the hook?

Itachi would have mentioned caring for anyone but her to him, and he never would have guessed it to be Sakura.

If Sasuke had known his brother loved _anyone_ and wasn’t just hopelessly dragging his feet before he set up the

drink he never would have done this. By the time he knew, Itachi already drank half of it, and it was too

late to take it back. He had treated Itachi badly, but never would he knowingly curse his brother to what he

had gotten for himself: a life loving and wanting someone he could never have, more than he could ever love or want anyone else.

Wait. Izumi had known.

She didn’t expect it to work on Itachi without his heart being in it. She’d said as much.

Did she think Itachi would search whoever it was out?

Had she known it was Sakura?

If Izumi was holding information back from him, unconcerned with Itachi possibly suffering _and_

getting him in trouble for it…

Well, she wouldn’t get away with it for long.

The mother of his child had plenty to answer for.

He would have to find Izumi and rattle some answers out of her before he left.

 

* * *

* * *

 

Kakashi sat in his office, thankful that he had gone to Fugaku all those years ago when Danzo took him

in as an orphan, giving him an eye he knew he shouldn’t have had. Knowing who the real enemy was and

banding together against him had thwarted the Uchiha’s extinction and the village he now presided over.

Danzo was killed, some of the tension between the Senju and Uchiha quelled.

Not all of it, of course, if Fugaku’s appearance in his office a few weeks ago was any indication.

_Flashback:_

_“We have a soldier cavorting with a Senju that has fallen pregnant.”, he complained._

_“Who?”, Kakashi asked, not really keen to interfere in someone’s personal life, but knowing  this man was_

_very sensitive about births within his clan._

_“Uchiha Izumi and that Yamato Orochimaru experimented on.”_

_Ludicrous, Kakashi thought. She was cavorting around with Sasuke, and he would_ **_not_ ** _be the one to tell Fugaku that._

_“I’ll look into it.”, he said, giving Fugaku a nod of assurance._

_“Thank you, Hokage-sama.”_

Now that Sakura would be inside the main house and in a position to interact with Itachi’s former fiance and

Sasuke’s toy, maybe she could shed some light on this for him. Discussing it with Yamato was out of the question.

If it wasn’t true, Yamato would become stressed and a little paranoid at the accusation.

If it was, it may cause a rift between him and his friend he couldn’t bear.

He’d lost enough of the few good friends he’d managed to keep over the years.

Handing Sakura some blackmail on Sasuke and making her aware of the girl she’d be dealing with was

something he was happy to do for his favorite student.

If that blackmail helped push her further towards real happiness, he didn’t mind. But first….

A sharp knock was heard at the door of his office. Sasuke had arrived.

Normally, on pure principal, he would make the boy wait at least an hour to come in.

Today was different. Shisui said Sakura would be coming back early.

Best to get this over with before she did.

“Come in.”

The doors opened and in walked the Uchiha, gliding to the chair furthest from the desk and taking his seat.

“You have a mission for me?”, Sasuke asked.

“Maybe. First, I have a question for you.”

Clearly impatient, the dark haired shinobi inquired,“What is it?”

The Copy nin kept his voice casual while dropping the bomb.

“Have you been using a henge of someone above your rank to sleep with Izumi?”

Sasuke blinked in genuine surprise, schooling his expression too late.

He was silent a long time and Kakashi simply waited.

Then, finally,”No.”

A distinct wave of pity rolled through the Rokudaime for Yamato, but did not extend to Sasuke.

“Alright.” Kakashi said, tossing Sasuke a mission scroll that the Uchiha caught,“See you in three days.”

Sasuke stood and nodded, exiting the doors.

  
  
  
  



	9. Give Me Your Hand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Public displays of affection, stairway standoffs, and card games.

When Itachi and Sakura arrived at the gates of Konoha, he held out his hand for her to take.

Blushing madly at the affectionate, very public gesture she took it, smiling to herself.

As they walked through the village, she noticed people were looking away, averting their eyes.

She looked to Itachi’s face, wanting to ask him what he thought of it.

There she found the answer.

He was glaring, menacingly, at other men.

Discovering his ulterior motive for holding her hand through town, she confronted it.

“Scoping the competition?”

He smirked teasingly,“Are you?”

Did he just try to make her jealous?

She stopped in the crowded main square and turned to face him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him.

_ You want possessive behavior? There! _

Once he returned the kiss eagerly, she pulled back to look at him, eyes narrowed in warning.

“Watch it, Uchiha.”

He smiled then, and it took her breath away,”Will we fight often?”

“Yes.”, she replied, trying to look serious.

He took and squeezed her hand in his, “Kiss me when we do.”

They resumed walking.

Sakura could not wipe the goofy grin off her face for a few blocks.

Just outside of Hokage tower, they stopped.

“I’m gonna need to talk to Kakashi-sensei on my own this time. Can you wait for me at my apartment?”

“How will I get in?”, he asked, wondering if she often asked people to wait in her apartment for her or if 

it was because it was him.

“Oh, I only lock it when I’m home. Sometimes people were waiting for me, injured, on the doorstep. Now 

I leave it open so they can have somewhere to sit while they wait.”

He had no idea how he could accommodate such a thing while living together. Her big heart was something

he loved about her very much, and of course having it cost her something. In this particular case, it was any sense of privacy. 

“Alright.”, he said, untangling their hands but lifting one to brush her cheek before he walked away. 

She watched him until he rounded a corner out of sight.

Her fluttering heart staving off some of the dread she felt climbing those stairs, she didn’t notice the man 

coming down them, at least until she ran face first into his chest.

Embarrassed, eyes downcast, she began apologizing before she saw who it was.

His voice halted her.

“Did my brother finally make a woman out of you,  _ and _ clumsier as well?”

Sakura took a moment to collect herself, astonished at Sasuke’s venom towards her.

Before she could reply, he spoke again,”Took your tongue too?”

That condescending smirk needed to stop.

She drew chakra to her fists. Sasuke watched her impassively.

Kakashi poked his head out of the window.

”No fighting on the stairway children.Sakura, get in here.”

She finished climbing the stairs and went inside, casting one hurt glance behind her just before she walked through the doors.

 

Sasuke kept walking, choosing to head out of the village from the tower.

Sakura had completely failed to notice him after just one night with his brother.

If he saw Izumi now, he would kill her for the humiliation she just put him through.

He needed options to rid himself of her trouble that would be unlikely

to destroy his own life as well.

He needed time away to think.

There wasn’t much else to do in Oto anyway.

* * *

* * *

 

Itachi made his way to Sakura’s apartment.

It seemed quiet, but there was a chakra signature inside.

He hoped this would go well.

The smile he opened the door on quickly faded into a frown.

“What are you doing here? Where’s Sakura-chan?”.

Itachi entered, removed his shoes and shut the door. He came to stand near the

single couch in the living room, placidly observing Naruto for any sudden moves.

“She is talking to Hokage-sama now. She asked me to wait for her here.”

Naruto huffed in disappointment,”I just wanted to have one more night with her before she ran off 

forever with  _ you _ . I brought the cards, popcorn, that stupid movie she likes….”

Itachi had seen enough to know Sakura would wilt without her friend. 

He had no intention of carting her off from him. He made that clear.

“That sounds acceptable.”

“Really? You guys will spend the night here?”

Itachi nodded.

“Wait.”, Naruto had a note of disgust in his voice,”You guys aren’t gonna…”

Itachi interrupted him before he could say it,”We haven’t.”

At first, Naruto seemed happy with that. 

Then he became angry.

”Sakura is beautiful and she cares about you.Think you’re too good for her or something?”

His brother’s friend was confusing. How did the two of them even get along?

Perhaps they both enjoyed conflict? He channeled a more Sasuke like response.

“If how I treat her doesn’t please you, we can take it to the training grounds.”

That was the ticket. Naruto grinned,”You got yourself a promise!”

Itachi waited for his next mood shift, but the blonde had forgotten his ire.

Naruto chuckled,”I brought some sake too. The goooood stuff. Want some?”

Itachi wanted to wait for Sakura to come back to drink, so they played cards instead while they waited for her.

His mind drifted to this morning as he stared through his hand of cards.

His intentions had been, mostly, pure when asking her to bathe with him.

Yes, he wanted to see her glorious body in the light of day.

He needed to practice resisting her.

They would be under watchful eyes soon.

As long as he could tell her no without crumbling, they would be safe.

When she kept coming closer and he sat on the edge of the hot spring to escape her, she had promptly taken 

him into her mouth without warning, her strong hands weighing down his hips and preventing any retreat.

Immense lust seized him then, and he allowed it.

Itachi had no intention of bringing up how forbidden such a thing was in his clan.

Hands could be used, bodies could be put together, but oral sex was considered  _ very _ taboo.

It had been shockingly enjoyable, and he wasn’t going to give it up now.

His only regret was being so boneless and sated afterwards, and utterly ignorant about how to give her the same.

He’d been hesitant, wanting his full energy and some understanding on his side. 

However, if they were caught doing this at home, there would be trouble. Maybe he could try it here?

He did not want Sakura to think all he wanted to do was paw her now, but his curiosity just wouldn’t go away.

Naruto laughed then, and he turned to see what about.

It seemed the blonde was laughing at him.

”Ha, Ha! Sakura’s got you all messed up doesn’t she?”

Itachi tilted his head in question.

“You’ve been staring into space for the last five minutes!”, Naruto exclaimed, throwing an arm around his 

middle to ease the ache of laughter and pointing at the now sheepish Uchiha.

“I apologize.”

Naruto calmed down, looking a little guilty now, and handed him the deck of cards.

”Come on. It’s your turn to deal.”

 


	10. Tradition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mission meeting, Itachi drinks with Sakura and Naruto...kind of. A visitor arrives.

Kakashi stepped aside as Sakura entered, catching sight of Sasuke walking to the gates.

Glad the Uchiha made the better choice this time, he turned to his favorite pupil.

“Back from leave early I see. Your vacation that unsatisfying, Sakura?”

She knew he would be like this. “Will all of you just shut up?!”

Unruffled, the Rokudaime walked to his seat behind the vast desk, motioning for her to sit in the chair 

directly across.

Unclenching her fists, but teeth still angrily gritting, she complained, “I hope this isn’t why you called me here.”

She walked to her seat, noticing Kakashi nod to himself as she did.

“Yes and no. An old comrade of mine, one I owe a favor to, has a pest. It just so happens you’re in a perfect 

position to help him get rid of it. You might have a personal interest in it too.”

He flopped a heavy file on the desk in front of her.

She picked it up, reading the name on the front of the file out loud,”Izumi Uchiha?”

“Read it.”

Sakura wanted to roll her eyes at the picture. She was perfect. Beautiful, long black hair, curvy in ways she

never would be. Ugh. Then her eyes caught another fact:  _ Former fiance of Uchiha Itachi. _

Itachi had mentioned a broken engagement, seeming relaxed that day, mentioning he was happy for his freedom and wished her well.

She hadn’t missed the fact that  _ she _ had broken up with _ him _ . 

Just when she was sure she couldn’t feel any more insecure, her eyes caught something else: _ Eternal Mangekyou wielder _

Her genjutsu specialization was a joke compared to what this woman could do.

Seeing Sakura’s unease bothered Kakashi.

Once he told her what was going on, if she didn’t know Itachi well, it might get worse.

She closed the file and slid it back to him.

“What do you want me to do?”

“I’ve been told she’s pregnant, that she’s been sleeping with Yamato  _ and  _ Sasuke. I need that verified or

debunked, and any clues as to parentage.”

“Do you think it might be true, Kakashi-sensei?”

“Knowing Izumi, probably.”, he replied.

Kakashi saw Sakura’s pink brows draw together in what he knew to be a look of strategic contemplation, 

her personal unease dissapearing. She did seem to know the Uchiha heir well enough to know such a woman

would not be a real threat in this situation.

He asked all the same,“You alright, Sakura?”

“Yes and no. Have you talked to Sasuke?”

“Just now, before you came in.”

That explained alot. He hadn't known.

Determination glinted in Sakura’s veridian eyes,“What’s the plan?”

 

Itachi had waited to drink because he knew Sakura would be here soon.

Sakura set everything up, he drank his first glass, and watched the two boisterous members of Team 7 interact.

Naruto’s eyes occasionally lingered briefly where they should not, but beyond basic appreciation, Itachi sensed no other intent.

He tilted his refill to his lips, but only wet them, then set it back down.

After a few times of this, Naruto noticed.

“Hey! Why aren’t you drinking?!”, he grumbled “You’re just pretending to!”

Sakura looked at Itachi’s drink, still three quarters full like it was a half hour ago.

“You don’t like it?”, Sakura asked, a small pink frown on her lips.

“Maybe I have something else around here?”, she offered, moving to stand.

He put a hand on her shoulder to still her and explained.

“Please do not trouble yourself. My father pretends to drink after the first cup whenever he drinks with 

my mother. He tries to hide it, but she always smiles when she catches him.”

Sakura was curious about this. Itachi had relayed this information much like the times he told her of 

Uchiha traditions Sasuke had never bothered to. “Only with your mother? Why?”

The Uchiha heir was having a hard time keeping his eyes from flicking to the ceiling fan in Sakura’s apartment,

a continuous source of motion and shadow. He settled them again to regard his fiance’s pretty face.

“He said it was so he could be sober enough to take care of her.”

Sakura had an excellent photographic memory and had read over Mikoto’s file. The Uchiha matriarch seemed

in better than average health, her stats impressive for a woman who had been out of the field so many years now. 

Picturing her becoming so ill that her husband had to stop at one drink to care for her worried Sakura.

“If she gets that sick from drinking, maybe she shouldn’t do it at all.”, Sakura said, her inner medic kicking in.

She made a mental note to look over Mikoto’s recent checkup history tomorrow.

“Wait a minute.”, Naruto’s eyes went wide,” Have you ever seen her drunk?”

Itachi smirked,”Yes.”

Sakura noted the look on Naruto’s face, beginning to catch on to why he had asked.

“What is she like when she’s drunk?”

“Very happy and affectionate.”, Itachi replied.

Naruto and Sakura gave each other a knowing side glance.

Then they both burst into drunken laughter.

Itachi glared at her. Suddenly he wasn’t having fun.

“You promised not to do that kind of thing tonight, remember?”, Naruto managed through his chuckles.

Still giggling, Sakura crawled into his lap, curling into him before catching  his lips with a quick kiss of apology.

Then, to his horror, the meaning of it all came to him.

His father was just letting  _ her _ get drunk, probably so he could...

Mortified, a blush colored his pale cheeks.

“Do you two gang up on Sasuke this way?”, he asked.

They both shrugged, nearly in unison, smiling.

There was a knock on the door. Itachi recognized the chakra signature immediately. 

He could only hope she hadn’t heard them.

“It’s my mother, Sakura. Open the door.”

  
  



	11. Wedding Presents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi gives Sakura a wedding present, Izumi tries to deliver hers.

Kakashi sat at his desk, watching the last light of day leech away.

Sakura had taken that a lot better than he imagined she would.

Of course, a little teasing and blackmail never hurt to distract her

in the midst of emotional turmoil. Still, it was easy to see that a piece

of her that was broken was busily being mended.

Shikamaru came to stand beside him,”You did the right thing.”

“Is that so?”

His right hand man nodded,”Think she’ll be happy with him?”

Kakashi shrugged,”If she isn’t, she has a way out now.”

_ Flashback: _

_ “What’s the plan?” _

_ “Go home with Itachi as his wife. Watch the family dynamics and report back.  _

_ If you run into her, and I’m sure you will, don’t react to her games.  _

_ Gain her trust. We’ll work together on this.” _

_ Sakura’s mouth dropped open. _

_ He waited for her shock at his request to pass and her argument to begin. _

_ “Are you ordering me to marry someone for the sake of a mission?” _

**_Yes, actually. Just in case things don’t go well between you, marrying_ **

**_under the guise of a mission gives you an out._ **

_ Of course, the gap between what Kakashi Hatake thinks and what he says is vast. _

_ He gave her a long suffering sigh, cocking an eyebrow at her. _

_ “Sakura, I’ve been watching you walk since you were a preteen.  _

_ You’re walking differently today and I know why. I’ve known Itachi,  _

_ was on a team with him for years. He will lie to protect you whether he gets _

_ what he really wants from you or not.” _

_ “And you won’t?” _

_ His mask registered movement beneath. _

_ She just knew he was wearing a shit eating grin under there. _

_ ”Same time next week, OK?” _

_ Sakura crossed her arms over her chest, leaning back into her chair, letting  _

_ out a defeated breath that ruffled her bangs. _

_ ”So much for being your favorite student, eh?” _

_ He winked at her,”You are.” _

_ She stood, readying to leave. _

_ “Hold on Sakura. I have a wedding present for you.” _

_ She stood, tapping her foot, as he rifled through his desk drawers. _

_ Finally, he pulled out a card from his left drawer,”Found it. Here you go.” _

_ Sakura took it and read it over, turning an interesting mix of furious and embarrassed. _

_ “What the hell is this?!”, she fumed. _

_ “When we were packing up your apartment I noticed your underwear selection _

_ is dismally unprepared for being a newlywed. It’s a gift certificate of course.” _

_ She stuck a finger out at him, baring clenched teeth. _

_ ”The day you’re not Hokage, I’m coming after you.” _

_ He gave her an eye crinkling smile, “I look forward to it.”  _

 

Sakura would keep her wits about her with Izumi.

She was fiercely protective of her former team.

The sadness in her eyes for Sasuke when she discovered he had been deceived

was a testament to what a wonderful woman she had grown into.

Itachi would be very watchful of Sakura, would absolutely protect her.

Sasuke, strangely enough, would watch out for her too.

Izumi was dangerous, and he had always had a sneaking suspicion that 

the way she got her sister’s eyes was not an attack by Iwa nin but an 

attack of her own. Eternal mangekyou was a formidable weapon. 

Against both brothers though, she would likely fall, and he wouldn’t lose a 

drop of tears or sleep over it.

The thought of her using Yamato pissed him off.

His wood using friend was lonely and vulnerable, and Izumi was an expert 

at playing such men.

Maybe he could drop in on his friend for a casual visit, watch him for a bit.

“I’m going out Shikamaru. See you tomorrow.”

* * *

* * *

 

Izumi needed answers.

Sasuke hadn’t come to tell her about Shisui’s official report.

According to the roster he’d been sent on a mission this morning.

She wasn’t going to sit around waiting for him, time was running out.

She made her way to the Uchiha mansion with a tasteful present for the 

new couple, making her introduction to the conversation about  them an easy one.

As she approached the door, Shisui was coming out of it, locking it behind him.

Mikoto was gone then, Fugaku must be at the station.

“Where’s the happy couple? I brought a wedding gift.”

“You’re a little early. They’re not married yet.”, he replied.

She winked at him, “Is he waiting for you to find someone first?”

Shisui gave her a flat look, her little flirt made his stomach turn.

Fugaku had asked him to fabricate a stall. He gave it his best shot.

”No. Sakura wants a traditional spring wedding. He agreed to wait for her.”

Izumi stared back at him, willing her eyes not to roll at this.

Of course he would give her that.This was ultimately why she discarded him. 

The entertainment of struggling to get her way would be nil with Itachi. 

No bursting passion, no power struggle.

He was so considerate that she would be bored and heaped with guilt,

paradoxically powerless against his strong moral code.

She would ruin Sasuke for not pulling this off eventually.

In the meantime, 3 months was much too long to wait for Sasuke to fix this.

Time to execute plan B then.

“I see. I’ll keep hold of it till then. Please tell them I dropped by.”

Shisui gave her a curt nod and took his leave.

She was an Uchiha and so was Sasuke. Those genes were likely dominant. 

Yamato’s resemblance, if he was the father, would be swallowed up in her own.

It’s not like anyone would be able to tell by looking at the kid.

She went home, wiped off her makeup, and replaced it with soft pink for her lips, 

adding a ribbon in her hair and her matching white dress.

She smiled at her image in the mirror. The picture of innocence.

She left her house, off to tell Yamato that he was the father of her child, a little spring

in her step.

This wasn’t how she wanted things to go, but she could adapt.

Besides, his reaction would likely be overwhelmingly affectionate, and she could

use a little bit of that right now.

  
  



	12. Compromise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke is kidnapped into opportunity, Itachi decides to change the pace.

Sasuke sat at a bar near Stone, brooding over his impossible situation.

At least he hadn’t married her before he found out.

He hated to admit it, but in a fight, Izumi’s advantages made it unlikely for him to be victorious. 

He would need some powerful help, and a good ruse to catch her off guard.

Also, a clear path to run if she got the better of him.

It was tempting to destroy her. Not just because she was actively seeking another out, but because she saw

no issue with dooming himself and Itachi to lives of suffering.

He realized now she said the drug wouldn’t work on Itachi if his heart wasn’t in it to insult him, to poke at his 

insecurity, and wouldn’t mind if the elder brother lost his shot at love to further what she wanted.

Yet, if he did managed to kill her, the baby would die too.

An image of Sakura holding a little Uchiha baby, something he hadn’t fantasized about in a while, came to his mind.

Someday that would happen now regardless of him, but the thought of her cradling _ his _ offspring made his eyes prick.

Maybe he could have genuine love for the child and it would love him in return.

To his surprise, he discovered he wanted that.

Maybe even more than his revenge.

The child may very well not even be his, and there was no way to restrain her until it was born to know for sure,

but if it was…

Realizing his mind was running in circles he decided to get some rest.

He laid his money on the counter, finished his drink, and made his way to his room.

His jaw twitched with irritation as he approached it.

That silly girl from the bar, the one that had plastered herself all over him  shamelessly begging him to fuck her, 

was here waiting for him.  Young, pretty, weak, too fragile. Looking him over and licking her lips.

“Get lost.”, he told her, eyes regarding her with disgust at her desperation.

She was shocked, apparently not used to rejection yet.  “Asshole!”, she cried, her lip quivering as she turned to go.

He waited until she was out of sight before withdrawing his key from his pocket.

He opened the door to his room, closed it, and flicked the light switch.

No light came. He wasn’t alone in here, and fairly tipsy.

He saw what looked like a flash of spectacles in the dark, catching the moonlight near the window.

He activated his Sharingan, scanning the room.

He felt a brief pinch, his legs giving out beneath him, the world swirling as he hit the floor.

All the light went out, even from the moon.

* * *

* * *

“I’ll get it!”

While Itachi and Sakura were feeling at least a little tense at her arrival, Naruto was overjoyed.

After Kushina’s death, Mikoto had become something of a surrogate mom to him.

He flung open the door, wrapped her in his arms, and gave her a big smile.

“Wanna play cards with us?”, he asked. 

She placed an elegant hand on the blonde boy’s shoulder, letting him know to wait a moment.

She gave her oldest son a look he knew to be a stern one.

_ You didn’t come home or tell me anything. You know better. _

“I’m sorry mother.”

Mikoto’s eyes then landed on an obviously drunken Sakura, who was nervously doing her best to appear anything but.

“Itachi, take her to her room. I’d like to stay and talk to Naruto-kun.”

The Uchiha heir stood and held out a hand to help Sakura up and take her to bed. 

Hearing the happy chattering begin behind him, he turned to lead Sakura down the hall to her room when his mother’s voice stopped him.

“I’ll see you in the morning, Itachi.”

She was telling him to go lay down with Sakura, that she approved of his choice.

Thank Kami.

He turned the lights off and they quietly stripped down to their underclothes, climbed into her little bed.

Sakura felt a deep relaxation wash over her, alerting her to how tired she still was.

She let him pull her into a sweet kiss that made her smile, and made her warm.

Despite her exhaustion, she found her hands wandering.

He caught one of them, gently, by the wrist.

“Sakura.”, he admonished.

“I know. I’m tired too. I just…”

“Hn?”

“I do want to marry you, Itachi.”

What a curious woman she was, expressing an engagement, and now this.

He held her close, nuzzling her neck, his deep voice muffled.

“Let me think about it.”

Sakura pulled back,voice sounding worried,“Itachi?”

He was silent a while, trying to find the best way to tell her how he felt.

To explain that it bothered him to have had sex with someone he wasn’t married to, made him feel like

he was the kind of man he wasn’t.That what happened wasn’t their fault as long as they did things right as of now,

and she was by  _ no _ means proposing for him.

Sakura whispered to him, after watching his face a while,“I’m sorry. I’ll wait.”

He nodded and held her closer.

Tomorrow they would be back to their lives.

He would find a way to make it special once she had some time, once he knew she was sure.

* * *

* * *

Sasuke awoke, tied to a post and bound in chakra restraints, eyes covered and sealed.

He heard footsteps, the clinking of small tools.

It was getting closer.

“What do you want?”, he called out.

A calm and confident voice replied,“Your eyes, for Lord Orochimaru.”

All thoughts of fighting his way out of this, which he had an opening or two to do despite the precautions

his kidnapper had taken, flew away. Luck had delivered an answer to his room at the Inn.

“Why would you take me when there is one with the Eternal Mangekyou?”

Kabuto scoffed,“Why would you offer that? Why would I trust you?”

“Because I want you to have her.”

He could hear the smirk in his kidnappers voice,”I thought Uchihas had more pride than to offer enemies

their best weapons to save their own skin.”

“It is not just myself I want to save.", Sasuke explained,"She’s pregnant with my child. I want the child, 

but am tired of her. I will bring her to you if you can make her disappear.”

The medic was well acquainted with scum of all types, but he had to admit he hadn’t heard this one before.

“You would trade your pregnant wife for yourself?”

“She’s not my wife.”, Sasuke spat.

“So an illegitimate lover of a clan boy then?”

The truth would help him now better than any lie he could make up.

Sasuke nodded,”Hn. A former fiance of my brother’s.”

“That is illegitimate indeed. How disloyal of you.”, the medic chided.

There was not a hint of lie in the young Uchiha’s voice or posture.  His desire to escape the situation 

was understandable.

Eternal mangekyou was difficult to come by, to say the very least.  He could always bring this one to base, 

let Orochimaru decide.  If he said no, they would just take his eyes and kill him anyway.

Making up his mind, Kabuto cut him down and laced three razor sharp chakra threads about Sasuke’s neck

to remove his head if he ran.

“Come with me. If you attempt to escape, I’ll simply capture you again, at best.”

Sasuke didn’t have to ask where he was being taken.

Izumi would  _ not _ stand against Orochimaru.

He would either die fighting the Snake Sannin today or keep Izumi from ever humiliating him again.

Sadly, it was better than the rest of his week had been.

Maybe he would even get to see his baby play with Sakura’s pretty pink locks someday.

  
  
  



	13. Love Notes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yamato has an awkward evening. Sakura leaves a letter.

Kakashi wandered down the streets of Konoha, wishing he'd acted faster. There was a girl in town, 

a pretty blonde and a good woman, that had been smitten with a  clueless Yamato for a while. He’d been

meaning to set them up, life had just been too busy, and now his friend was likely emotionally involved 

with a girl who was nothing but trouble.

When he arrived at Yamato’s doorstep, Izumi was standing in front of it, hand poised to knock.

“Funny seeing you here.”, he quipped.

She lowered her hand and turned to face him, bowing politely,”Hokage-sama.”

She certainly wouldn’t be explaining herself that easily. She regarded him with a blank face and dark eyes as 

she waited for him to elaborate on his comment without any of her own.

Kakashi gave her a fake eye crinkle,” I guess I should have left it to the Uchiha to spread the news. I just

wanted to tell Yamato myself about Sakura’s marriage. Old friends and all that.”

For a very brief second, he saw a shift of attention in her eyes.  Once again, it looked like his hunch was correct.

Her recovery was quick. “I will report that he was made aware, Lord Hokage.”

The door to the apartment opened.

Yamato had a towel around his waist, another in his hand as he dried off his hair.

He smiled brightly as he registered Izumi standing in front of his door, facing away from him, glossy locks 

tapering to the first curve of her ass.  He opened his mouth to greet her.

‘Yo.”

Oh hell. A tuft of wayward silver hair was visible above Izumi’s head.

”Hokage-sama.”, he croaked out, concerned Kakashi’s bad timing wasn’t a coincidence, ”Can I help you?”

Kakashi’s eyes flicked pointedly to Izumi,”Was that all you needed here or did you need….  _ something _ else? 

It really would be better for me to tell him…”  She nodded and left.

Yamato watched her go, disappointment clear on his face. 

When he looked back to Kakashi, he saw his steel grey eyes had a stern glint.

“Invite me in Yamato. Now.”

The wood user sighed, opening his door further and stepping aside to let his friend in.

Kakashi wanted an explanation, and he knew he would be goaded until he gave him one.

The Rokudaime made himself at home on his couch,“Wanna talk about it?”

Yamato sounded defeated,“Am i in trouble?”

Kakashi replied, gravity in his voice,“Not from me.”

* * *

* * *

 

Sakura woke up when it was still dark outside, her internal alarm clock buzzing away inside of her and reminding her of her early shift.

She glanced up at the face of the warm man holding her in her bed and her heart sighed in pleasure.

He looked relaxed and content, smooth lids topping his long lashes.

She smiled as she remembered the first time she woke up next to him.

It was on a four month mission in the land of snow when she had fallen hopelessly in love with him.

They were in a cave, a horrible storm blowing outside.  She had been in her own sleeping bag, and he in his.

Sometime in the night, he had zipped their bags together. When she woke up with his arms wrapped around her

and her head tucked under his chin, she had startled a bit. He gave a small amused grunt, making her look up at him. 

The corner of his mouth was curved up a bit, the way his black eyes looked at her making her stomach jump pleasurably.

Their lips were so close. She wanted a kiss from him so badly, to stay here and let him touch her. 

His eyes flicked to her lips, his tongue darting out briefly to moisten his bottom lip.

For just a second, she could’ve sworn she’d seen molten desire in his eyes, but he pulled away.

On their walk back to Konoha yesterday, he had confided how difficult not being with her then had been,

and she had told him that she couldn’t sleep again until she’d taken care of herself.

Surprised, his steps had halted for a moment, and right before Sakura burst into laughter at his reaction,

he’d grasped her and pinned her to a tree. Panting from his sudden passionate kisses and overwhelmed with desire

to have him, she wrapped her legs around his waist, but he pulled back again.

”You always tease me.”, he’d said with a smirk.

“You’re the tease.”, she shot back, frustration in her voice.

“You are the one making me wait, Sakura.”, he said, smirk vanishing, turning to resume their journey.

She was hurting him. He wanted her enough, and he felt her refusal meant she wasn’t sure she did. 

That wasn’t the reason she hadn’t accepted his proposal.

She wanted to live her life with him, the one she had plus the man she loved.

Sakura suspected the clan would take that life away from her, force a different life on her.

Itachi would help her if he could, but what if he couldn’t?

She carefully disentangled herself from itachi, putting on a robe to make some tea.

Approaching the kitchen table, Sakura found breakfast had already been made, two plates and steaming

tea set out. A note lay next to it, in Mikoto’s beautiful script:

 

_ I’m not dead yet, Sakura-chan.Each one of us leaves our own legacy. _

 

As intimidating as the Uchiha matriarch could be, she was always perceptive and kind.

She didn’t doubt that Sakura loved her son, knew what she was afraid of.

The pinkette smiled, thinking about what kind of legacy the two of them could make together. 

This “mission” Kakashi put her on had her all out of sorts too.

Itachi was perceptive, hadn’t been sure of her proposal last night.

But….if she forgot about everything else…...made it just about the two of them...

Deciding, she flipped Mikoto’s note over, writing her own.

She ate, showered and dressed, leaving the note on the nightstand for Itachi.

 

Itachi opened his eyes after she left, sighing.

_ You’re a fool, pretending to sleep to avoid talking about it now. _

She had written him a note before she left.

He’d heard that wasn’t often a good thing, wished he’d faced her this morning instead.

Was she upset about him wanting her to wait until he knew she was sure?

The note sat ominously, daring him.

He watched the sky for a long time, until he got the inner peace he needed to read it.

Pushing his fears aside, he opened it, her neat looping script gracing the page.

 

_ Itachi, _

_ You traded your honor for mine, but I was wrong to accept it.  _ _ I want everyone to know the truth, and  _

_ not just because I know we’ll  _ _ be happy together.  _ _ Your honor matters too, especially to me, whenever there is anything  _

_ I can do to protect it. _ _ There wasn’t a moment I didn’t want you. I’m not ashamed to need you. _

_ I was worried about being forced out of everything I’ve worked so hard for, _ _ the rigidity of the clan.  _

_ Now I know that, when the time comes, we can use  _ _ our hard work to form our own way, and I really want to be a part of that. _

_ Together. I just wanted to let you know. _

_ Yours, _

_ Sakura _

 

Her steadfast, caring nature. Her protectiveness, her dedication to her work, her optimism for the future,

her desire to be with him in everything. It was all right here.

A lovestruck smile graced his lips as he read it over again.

He dressed and placed the note in his pocket, got ready for the day with new energy.

He would train for a bit, then gather his wife in his arms and be certain she thought of him in fond memory every time she walked in her office.

Then he would find his brother.

  
  



	14. Loyalty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke arrives at Orichimaru's hideout, Itachi has a talk with Fugaku, Izumi decides to introduce herself to the new couple.

Sasuke strode along behind Kabuto.

The medic’s steps had been quickening of late, signaling to Sasuke they were nearly there.

Rolling hills under his feet, boulders he brushed past, birds and small animals he could hear busy getting

a start on their day as the rising sun warmed his blindfold, told him he had a chance to live through today.

The covering remained on his eyes, shielding him from the truth of their position, something they would

not allow him to escape to tell about. Still, he would record the way here as best he could.

“Won’t they miss this woman of yours?”, Kabuto asked.

They had walked in silence for so long, the question breaking Sasuke out of his thoughts.

“I won’t.”

“Clearly.”, the medic stated,”I meant her family, friends, her village.”

Sasuke shrugged,“Her father was executed by my clan, her mother took her own life, she destroyed the

lover that mattered to her and her sister.”

“Was her father a criminal in your village?”

“Only to the Uchiha. He was not married to her mother or from our clan.

He took her mother away and they had two daughters. They were found and returned.”

The medic could guess why the mother had taken her own life. He didn’t ask.

“Your brother lives. Was she not his lover?”

Sasuke frowned,”No, she wasn’t.”

The smirk in his captor’s voice made the young Uchiha want to gut him,”Sure about that?”

He refused to honor his tone with a reply.

Silence came again while his captor thought about his next questions.

“What about the lover and the sister?”, he finally asked.

“Both sisters loved him.”, Sasuke replied. She had never confessed this, but it was obvious enough.

Little things she said and did over time, what he had read in the reports, and her behavior about he and Itachi made it all too clear.

Treating his brother as disposable and expecting his participation snapped the final thread of her possible

innocence in the slaying of the only two people she had left as a girl.

His brother must have known.

During the walk, he came to realize why Itachi had been paired with her. Only he and their father could

beat her among the other sharingan users in the village. Her weaponized eyes spared her life.

She had no relative close enough to wear them for her. Itachi was impervious to her temptations.

If he’d known what she was beforehand he would have been too. Sasuke had only ever been with her and his

targets, assumed it was the same with her, until the _Hokage_ told him that she was banging someone who outranked him.

“Stop.”, his captor said, taking a firm hold of his arm.

He obeyed, felt a rapid shift in their surroundings. A new smell, minerals, damp, stale air. They were underground.

A massive chakra reached out and brushed him.

“We’re here. Let’s get you out of these restraints.”, Kabuto said, undoing the chakra blades first.

The blindfold came off next. “Not worried about my eyes then?”, Sasuke asked.

The medic shrugged,“Killing me isn’t as easy as it looks. Even if you do, you’ll never make it out of here

alive without being let out. He knows you’re here.”

* * *

* * *

 

 

Itachi wasn’t surprised to see Fugaku at the training grounds.

Running his clan, the police department, and his family never kept him too busy to  stay in shape and keep his skills sharp.

He nodded a greeting to his father which was returned.

“Where is Sasuke?”, Itachi inquired.

“Mission”, Fugaku replied. “He should be back in two days.”

An image of Sakura holding her stomach and looking away in the room at the club flashed in his mind,

the kunai he threw at the target sinking in to the hilt. 

Fugaku’s eyes widened slightly,“Don’t be too hard on him, Itachi.”

He wouldn’t let Sasuke drug them and not pay for it, especially to Sakura, regardless of the favorable outcome.

“Establishing order is important.” he replied, smirking.

Fugaku was silent.

Itachi decided to take Sakura at her word, to tell his father first.

“Sakura and I have joined.”

His father let out a relieved huff,“I wondered if the delay was for Izumi.”

Itachi raised an eyebrow at this. That wasn’t a response he expected.

“Hiashi told me she’s pregnant.”

That gave Itachi pause. Picturing Izumi as a mother was disconcerting.

Hiashi, his family, and attendants came to walk through the village once a month with Fugaku.

It was billed as a celebration of peace between the two clans, and all Uchiha were required to attend,

but was actually a way for the Hyuuga to scan the crowd for new births on the way.

The clan head elaborated, “Izumi and Yamato have been sleeping together.”

Unmarried men who fathered children with Uchiha women were not allowed to raise the child.

All Uchiha were kept until born, wanted or not, and all were bound to the village. When children, alive or dead,

could be weapons concessions had to be made. His heart went out to Yamato, thinking few tortures worse

than being exiled from your offspring. Izumi would be sterilized and denied marriage.

What was she thinking?

“You thought I would save her?”, Itachi asked.

Fugaku nodded.

If Itachi had not fallen in love with Sakura, he likely would have married her regardless of what she’d done,

only because she was valuable in battle and he was one of the only men he knew that could resist and defeat

her should she turn on them or the village.

His father shifted his feet,“Will you be having children soon, Itachi?”

 _Here we go._ “That is Sakura’s decision.”

Fugaku frowned,“I don’t want things to become difficult for Sasuke. You don’t expect any problems?”

Itachi was silent, sickened by his father’s accusation of his little brother.

Sasuke was troubled, but plotting to take his wife was unfathomable, and he would not force a child on

Sakura out of fear of his brother doing so. His little brother did love her, but he would not betray Itachi that way.

Unlike Izumi, there was a limit to Sasuke’s selfishness.

His father knew him well, but didn’t seem to know his brother at all.

“Sasuke did this so that she and I could be together. He wants our happiness.”

He turned to the house then and walked back, signaling the conversation was over

* * *

* * *

 

Itachi shook his head as he started the water in the shower. The only two people till now to sacrifice even

their pride for him had been Shisui and his mother.His father was ultimately a good man, but it was hard to

feel loved by him. He settled for being understood long ago. He _had_ been resigned to sharing his life

with a dangerous liability, Izumi, before he got close to Sakura.

It had only been a few hours since he had seen her, but he already missed her.

He ran Sakura’s words in her letter through his mind again, feeling his soul settle and his chest warm.

She would be there for him too, a companion that didn’t make him feel even more alone.

The hot spray reminded him of his last bathing experience, surrounded by Sakura’s hot, wet mouth and eager hands.

A wave of desire rolled through him, images of his hands in her beautiful hair, the rapture on her face as

he drove into her at his hideout. She was his now.

Sex was sanctioned, a right for both of them. He could touch her with abandon and without guilt as she allowed.

The Uchiha heir wanted to show her what that would feel like.

* * *

* * *

 

Shisui had said they didn’t marry, were waiting for spring, but the Hokage had said they married.

Izumi couldn’t blame Sakura for spreading her legs sooner than she planned.

Itachi was hot, no doubt about it, and she would have happily fucked him if he’d let her.

This of course meant Sakura was wanted and she wasn’t, and despite that making her first plan more possible,

it really pissed her off. All night the nagging thought of just not being good enough drove her to distraction

and deprived her of sleep. She wanted someone to feel as bad as she did right now, namely Sakura.

She marched toward the hospital, conjuring up the few memories she did have of Itachi reacting to

her in the past, something to make her introduction stick. She went through the double doors, walked

to the back of the first hall, and spotted a familiar figure.

Itachi didn’t look injured. In fact, she knew that look very well on a man, though she had never seen it on him.

It was anticipation of some very adult fun. The chase.

She kept him in sight as he asked for Sakura’s whereabouts from various staff.

Finally, he stopped at a door. One that opened after he knocked, was promptly shut and locked.

izumi leaned against the wall, waiting.

They would come out sooner or later, then she could introduce herself.

She had a memory or two to punish Itachi with too.

 


	15. Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke sees his problems before may not be as bad as the ones he has now, Itachi loses his temper, and Kakashi runs his mouth.

Meeting the Snake Sannin for the first time was something Sasuke would never forget.

The man was grotesque, resembling a ghoul. His chakra up close was suffocating.

When Kabuto introduced him, Orochimaru’s mouth split into a wide smile, a long thick tongue lolling out of it.

How anyone could look this way and hold so much charisma baffled Sasuke.

He was like a mythical beast, Sasuke feeling an insane urge to let it bite him.

The yellow eyes caressed his form. Orochimaru was very aware of how he made others feel.

A smooth, seductive voice sounded from the enigma before him.

“Kabuto, he’s alive?”

The medic pushed his glasses up before answering,“He wants to trade himself for a woman with the Eternal Mangekyou.”

A long hand with strange skin folded over the other, eyes contemplating.

“Uchiha Izumi?”

Sasuke confirmed,“Hn.”

The Sannin smiled widely again,“What makes you think I cannot get her if I want her, boy?”

Sasuke supposed he could, “You don’t want her then?”

“She could be a bit more fun than you, I suppose.”, Orochimaru mused.

Sasuke decided not to think about what that meant.

“There’s more.”, Kabuto interjected,”She’s pregnant with his child.”

Snake eyes sparkled with interest,“Ah, so you would like to dispose of both of them then?”

Sasuke’s voice came out too loud,“I want my child.”

Kabuto snickered next to him. If he ever saw this asshole anywhere else than here…

“When are you supposed to return from your mission, Sasuke-kun?”, Orochimaru asked.

So they were concerned about him maintaining the status quo? That meant he might just be able see Konoha again.

He answered,“Two days.”

“Hmm.”, the snake man tapped his chin,”That doesn’t give us much time, does it?”

Sasuke waited for him to elaborate, but he didn’t.

It was Kabuto who spoke next,”White snake possession?”

Orochimaru nodded,”Kabuto, please show Sasuke-kun to a room. He’ll be our guest until the child is born. We leave at sunrise.”

Sasuke put on a blank face while his insides filled with fear and regret.

If memory served, Sakura had told him of the technique the medic had mentioned after binge reading files

she wasn’t supposed to again. White snake possession allowed the caster to enter the body of a target, much

like the Yamanaka clan’s mind transfer jutsu, and steer them like a ship.

Orochimaru planned to enter the village in _his_ body.

His biggest mistake wasn’t betraying Sakura, or not realizing Izumi had betrayed him, or even taking his

brother’s promised wife to his bed.

Surely, it was this.

* * *

* * *

 

Itachi knocked on the door of her office the same way he did on their missions.

It was only fair to give Sakura a little warning, he thought.

He heard an adorable squeal from her on the other side, her dainty feet jogging toward the door.

The moment it opened, he entered the room and whirled her around to put her back against the door,

releasing a hand to lock it before crushing his lips to hers.

Startled, it took Sakura a moment to reciprocate before she laced her arms around his neck and kissed

him back, moaning into the kiss. He broke it first, resting his forehead against hers, stroking her cheek and regarding her fondly.

”You are mine, Uchiha Sakura, and I am yours.”

The smile on her lips, the delight in her eyes, made his heart pound.

_Mine._

He kissed her deeply, one hand firmly on her hip, the other moving down the front of her dress uniform.

"I need you Sa-ku-ra.”, he breathed in her ear, making her tingle all over.

She tried to gather her scrambled thoughts,”Well…. I'm at work right now... and -ah!.”

The cool air of the room hit her torso. Her amorous partner had unbuttoned her dress while he was kissing her.

It lay plainly open now, his wandering hands and lips taking full advantage.

“We're in your office.”, he acknowledged, wanting to take her breasts into his mouth but realizing once he

did the desire to be inside her would outweigh anything else.

He wanted to taste her first.

“Yes... and…. I think- uh!”

Itachi gave brief attention to her nipples, brushing them with his thumbs and enjoying her reaction, then continuing down.

“That this... is a good place... to make... memories?”, Itachi offered, kissing a trail to her bellybutton and nipping her hip bone.

Sakura gave up, letting him fondle her as she mewled for him.

She was wearing a matching set of bra and panties, red lace with white ruffles.

It was very sexy on her, actually a bit much.

“Do you often wear things like this to work?”, he asked, running a finger along her center.

Sakura’s breath hitched,“I hoped to see you.They were a wedding present.”

“Oh?”, Itachi smirked, unable to help it, picturing her putting on something like this in  anticipation of him coming for her.

Wait.”From who?”

“Uh….Kakashi?”, she confessed sheepishly.

Itachi furrowed his brow,“Absolutely not.”, he stated, and ripped them away.

Sakura was about to complain about spending the rest of her shift bottomless, but he kissed her softly _there._

 “No other man shall dress or touch _my_ heaven.”

Sighing happily, Sakura allowed him to draw a leg over his shoulder to open her.

He breathed her in, her light scent making arousal thrum in his veins, and reached his tongue out to give her a languorous lick.

Sakura laid her head back, enjoying the sensations, bringing a hand down to run her fingers through his hair.

“Mmmm, I love you Itachi.”

He expressed his gratitude for that by licking and sucking her intimately, increasing his fervor as he went along,

quickly finding ways to make her tremble. Hearing this powerful woman whimper, her breath quicken, watching

her toned stomach jump with pleasure beneath her smooth skin, was making his cock throb.

The desperation in her voice pulled at him,“Please Itachi, I need you inside me.”

He did not need to be told twice.

Sliding her lovely leg off his shoulder, he stood and threw off his shirt, shed his bottoms.

He approached her swiftly and lifted her to him,Sakura wrapping her legs around his waist.

Her lidded green eyes glittered with lust, threatening to make his head swim with his own.He took her lips

as he pushed inside her, groaning at how wet she was and the tight grip of her sex around his member.

Sakura’s moan at his entry, the feeling of her around him again, made him burn inside.

“Sakura,” he panted,”I haven’t sealed the room. We’ll have to be quiet.”

She nodded, laid her head into the crook of his neck, kissing and nipping the skin there.

Itachi couldn’t bear being still anymore.

He drew his cock out of her to the tip, then gave a powerful upward thrust, felt a sting on his back from her nails clutching him.

_Mine._

Then another thrust, five, ten. A few more and then….Sakura came with a broken cry.

Itachi clenched his eyes shut, begging himself not to come with her this time.

It worked.

Shisui was right. Enduring both pleasure and pain had the same remedy: exposure.

Once her body loosened it’s grip on him, he heard her breathe out, pleading,”Oh god, Itachi! Please make me feel that way again!”

The next time she came, he knew he’d be going over with her, and the call of his body to set a punishing pace

into hers was becoming impossible to ignore.

He was going to make his young wife scream. So be it.

* * *

* * *

 

Outside, Izumi’s jealousy raged.

They might be happy now, but soon after their fun was over, they were going to be

sorry for _daring_ to have what she couldn’t.

* * *

* * *

 

Kakashi had escaped last night with only the slightest hangover.

Poor Yamato didn’t fare so well, nearly drinking himself into a coma after

learning what his sweet, innocent young lover was up to.

Kakashi arrived with the intention of prodding gently and offering an ear.

When he saw Izumi dressed like an angel and smelling of Sasuke he made a

scene with her, went in and told his friend things he shouldn’t have.

Yamato had not believed him.

Shikamaru brought photos, ones he’d requested for Sakura’s sake in case the

younger Uchiha came crawling back to beg her again to marry him.

The wood user was in shock afterwards for a while, then he raged, then he wept.

Then they drank. Too much.

He did not mention the pregnancy. This was enough for now.

Sasuke and Yamato fighting over _that_ was not something he wanted to see anytime

soon.Yamato had wanted a family of his own for a long time now, and until Kakashi

knew for sure there was news to tell him, he wouldn’t. Maybe he wouldn’t anyway.

He doubted very much Yamato would just hand the child over to the Uchiha, or that

he would withstand the clan taking it from him if he didn’t.

He needed to talk to Izumi, confront her, know who the father was _now_ so this mess could

be properly sorted and he didn’t have to worry about his shinobi murdering each other

in the streets over a shameless harlot and clan politics.

Sasuke would be back soon. Yamato would definitely confront him.

He called to the Anbu in the fox mask at his side.

It was time Naruto knew the hell that was breaking loose in the lives of his friends anyway.

“Yes Hokage-sama?”

“Find Izumi Uchiha. Bring her here.”

“Hai.”

When Naruto arrived at the hospital to fetch her, the normally passive Uchiha heir

had his hand around the throat of the girl he was looking for, Sakura holding onto his

other arm and asking him to stop.

Itachi listened to her, but was clearly reluctant, the dark haired girl dropping to the ground

and gasping for air once he let go.

“I’ve come to take Uchiha Izumi to Hokage tower.”, Naruto announced, looking at Sakura’s

face for any clues. She was pale, looked upset, but nodded back at him.

_I’ll be alright._

Looking at Itachi, a cold dread crawled into his stomach.

The Uchiha had no intention of letting this woman live, consequences be damned.

“She is dangerous. Leave her to me.”

“Why don’t we accompany Anbu-san to the Tower?”, Sakura suggested, eyes darting

nervously between her husband and her friend.

Itachi sighed in open irritation, a few tense moments of silence later conceding for now and stepping back.

Izumi stood, offering no protest and seeming relieved for the interruption, knowing better

than to utter a word.

All the way to Hokage tower, Itachi’s eyes spun a strange pattern, never leaving Izumi for a moment.

His parents had been the only ones to know about the transplant between himself and his mother.

He had been told over and over not to reveal that he had been given Mikoto’s eyes. Now he had lost his temper and shown Izumi.

The words she showed him, from the mouth of his brother regarding Sakura and clearly a memory of hers,

forced him to bite back tears of rage and pain.

_”I might end up having her after all.”_

Maybe his father did know Sasuke much better than he.

  



	16. Welcome Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke meets a former Konoha resident who offers to help him, Izumi is given an examination.

Sasuke’s morning had turned out to be a pile of steaming shit. As the day wore on, it seemed only to be attracting flies.

As if being kidnapped and blackmailed into becoming a missing nin and allowing entrance for an enemy of his village

were not distasteful enough, the smug medic gave him a tour of the fates of ongoing torture victims he described

as experiments.

“This place is a hellhole.”, he remarked to his escort.

Kabuto smirked, “Depends on which side of the bars you're on.”

“Which side will that be?”

“The one that keeps you alive until morning, for now.”

Suicide in defense of the village had come to mind as an option.

It was a lot better fate than some of the other ones he was paraded before on the way to his quarters.

Sasuke probed,”I wasn't aware I needed to be alive for the possession to work.”

Kabuto stopped walking and looked him over,”You don't, but it's preferable.”

_Shit.,_ Sasuke thought, _There goes that way out._

“Will I remain conscious?”, he asked as they resumed walking again, not sure which answer he preferred just now.

The bespectacled man shrugged,”It depends on the host.”

They stopped in front of a cell that the medic opened, gesturing inside,”Welcome home.”

Tendrils of mold snaked up the stone walls, a thin and sagging mattress on a rickety frame without blanket or pillow,

a corroded metal sink, and a single candle on a nightstand greeted him behind the iron door.

 He noticed a small dip in the floor, a drain perhaps.

“Dinner will be along in a while.”, the medic informed, “Till tomorrow.”

Sasuke laid back on the dusty mattress.

Maybe he should let his family hate him, come clean. _If_ he ever had the chance.

There wasn't much to lose now. He could be executed for allowing this.

He hoped no one else was harmed by Orochimaru’s visit, but something in the way the man had looked

at him told him he only wanted in and out with Izumi. Why else would he use _his_ body to enter it?

At the very least he hoped to return his child to Konoha and take Izumi to hell with him.

The thought of leaving everyone behind was crushing and he brushed it away.

“Just piling regrets.”, he said aloud.

“You too, huh?”, a rather soft female voice answered.

He turned his face to the door of the cell, surprised to find a slight woman was standing there, long black braided hair

to her waist and strange blue eyes, amused she had caught him unaware.

“What do you want?”, he asked, annoyed at her teasing.

“To give you dinner.”, she replied, appreciative eyes drinking him in.

He scowled at her attention,”Tch.”

“You’re cute, but not very charming are you?”, she said, a sour expression replacing her earlier interest.

A little insulted, Sasuke replied,“I can be when I must.”

She rolled her eyes,”So it’s more like a chore for you, instead of a concern?”

“Hn.”

“Well,”, she said, making her disapproval clear,”I can see why you've come alone.”

He sat up, ready to let her have a dose of his non charming demeanor when he caught sight of the look she

was giving him now. It was remarkably similar to the one Mikoto would use on him when she was reminding

him of the manners she taught him.

He swallowed and rose, took the plate from her and sat back down on the bed.

“Thank you.”, he said, just loud enough to be heard.

“You're welcome.You're an Uchiha aren't you? “, the girl asked.

_Not this again_ ,“So?”

“I hear you'll be on Kabuto’s table tomorrow for a journey. If you don't want Lord Orochimaru in your head, I can help.”

“How?”

“I can put a shield around your mind so he can't get in. If he does something you don't want to see...you won't have to.”

“Why would it matter that I'm an Uchiha and why would you help me?”

“That would make you a leaf ninja, right? I came from Konoha too. My sister still lives there.”

Sounded plausible, and he wasn’t choosy right now. At this point, why not?

She would likely be punished for killing him, not that it would stop the sannin anyway.

He could at least say he protected the village's secrets to the best of his ability, or tried to.

“Do it.”

She nodded,”Eat first. You will be nearly comatose until he leaves your body.”

Sasuke ate while she made her other rounds.

When she finished and returned, he handed her the finished plate and looked at her to ask what was next, but the question died in his throat.

Her eyes spun red.

* * *

* * *

 

Unable to rouse Sasuke from his slumber, Kabuto let out a frustrated noise.

“This kid is a pain in the ass.”

Orochimaru couldn’t argue. He seemed to have the same ability Izuna did.

There should be no such issue with Izumi.

“Though worth it, you’ll see.”, the sannin replied.

He was allowed into Konoha without fanfare other than,”Early as usual, Uchiha.”

 

* * *

* * *

 

Izumi knew she had fucked up. Royally.

When she’d caught Sakura in a genjutsu, she began showing her times she and Itachi played together, holding hands.

The first kiss, more of them. She felt Sakura’s sting of discomfort.

All was going well, so she moved into times when she had teased him and Itachi was struggling with physical need,

figuring that would rattle her even better.

The sting vanished, Sakura’s calm and resolve and maybe even...pity coming to the fore.

Izumi shifted to scenes between her and Sasuke, but it was only more of the same reaction, even stronger.

Then some freakish mental guardian suddenly booted her out.

Sakura’s resistance had pissed her off, so she pushed on Itachi...which might have been a fatal mistake.

His mastery of Eternal Mangekyou stunned her, she was no match. Itachi's killing intent blazed.

He blamed her for his brother turning on him, ached to change it and eliminate her.

Thankfully, she was taken to Hokage tower. Maybe someone had seen her plight and called for help.

Hoping so, she decided to play the victim this time.She remained silent until they were in the Hokage’s office,

even as they sealed her sight. Appearing as a threat wouldn’t help her right now.

After Naruto explained the position he found them in and before Sakura could take a breath to add to it, she risked

speaking out of turn to play it up,“Itachi’s insane! He tried to kill me! Please protect me Hokage-sama!”

Itachi remained  silent, radiating a determined rage.

“With pleasure,”, Kakashi replied evenly, “but first, Sakura?”

“Yes?”

“I’d like to know who the father of her child is.”

Izumi startled, then became hysterical,“I refuse to do it here! I want protection first!”

“It’s her right to not have this revealed in public, have at least _some_ privacy.”, Sakura agreed,

heart sinking as she saw realization wash over her husbands face of just _who_ the father might be.

“Permission granted.You’ll be held in protective custody in our medical unit for now.”

Kakashi beckoned to an Anbu nearby,”Racoon, go with them.”

“Hai.”

The door shut after the trio departed and Kakashi turned his attention to Itachi.

“So…... Sakura’s a married woman now?”

Itachi considered the most efficient reply, eyes narrowed,“I destroyed your wedding present.”

Kakashi took his bottom lip into his teeth and bit down so his smile wouldn’t quite reach his eyes.

Rin had told him one drunken evening at the pub that Obito was at his best when feeling possessive.

_You’re welcome Sakura._

“I see. My apologies if I’ve offended.”, Kakashi remarked, remorse clearly not meant in the slightest.

“Hn.” Itachi realized he would be the victim of Kakashi’s teasing now as well and not just a spectator.

“We have sealed her sharingan of course, but I imagine you’d like to accompany her and Sakura to the holding cell?”, The Copy nin asked.

“Yes, Hokage-sama.”

“I’ll be right behind you.”, Naruto called after Itachi as he approached the doors.

Once they shut, Naruto leaned over the desk of the Sixth,“So what’s with this lady’s kid?

What’s the big deal?”

* * *

* * *

 

Sakura had never been so insulted in all her life.

Her husband was a human being with needs.Perfect as he seemed, she was well aware that he was quite as human as anyone else.

She was 6 years old when this began between he and Izumi. Of course he wouldn’t have preferred her at the time.

It was petty and ridiculous and _unkind_ to her husband, and highly underestimated her understanding and intelligence.

Her mother always told her to pay attention to what people like that _didn’t_ shove in your face.

The first mission they had gone on together, a very personal one to the Uchiha, was the first time he had shown genuine affection for her.

She had been on the very edge of chakra exhaustion.He was wounded badly but refused her healing until she was recovered.

Every time she saw that scar she was reminded of his caring and protective behavior towards her that was well beyond mission protocol.

None of the scenes Izumi showed her were graced by that scar he bore for her benefit.

All of them were at least a year ago, probably more.

When Izumi started showing her scenes of Sasuke, it broke Sakura’s heart.

The younger Uchiha must not have said a bad word about Sakura to her, because Izumi seemed the type to have shown her if he had.

His displays of affection for Izumi never reached his eyes.

Guilt, need, anger, inadequacy, resentment, fear. All were present, but not love.

He wanted to bond, but some part of him refused. He never gave her presents, not even a glass of water.

Nothing to see here, except what was lacking.

So, it was with head held high that she endured the seething woman’s curses on the way to her cell.

Once Izumi had that baby, she’d be more than happy to punch her into next week.

Until then, Sakura sufficed to let Izumi know she trusts Itachi implicitly, then put her to sleep so she could examine

her without enduring any further abuse.

Her brief exam concluded, she found a smile on her lips despite the situation.

Being the only child, she was looking forward to being someone's aunt the only way it was possible for her.

 Sakura smiled kindly at her husband when he appeared.

“Any news yet?”, he asked.

“Until the baby is born, exact parentage is impossible to tell without harming the baby.

What I can tell you is it’s an Uchiha and _only_ an Uchiha, Itachi-kun.”

The wind of anger blew out of his sails as he studied the floor, replaced by relief and remorse.

This abomination of a woman held his niece or nephew, his mother’s first grandchild.

He’d been inches from destroying it.

He clenched a fist,“I should have known, suspected.”

“I’m sure he went to great lengths to hide it from you.”, Sakura said softly, hoping to assuage his guilt.

He looked up and stepped closer to her, eyes brimming with concern.

“Sakura, what were you shown?”

Sakura decided to keep it simple.

“You wanting her.”, she said, taking his hand in hers and attempting a reassuring squeeze.

He wanted to cover her in kisses just then, amazed at her maturity and care for him after being assaulted with such a thing,

but a very familiar presence alerted him.

* * *

* * *

 

He sensed the girl in the prison. It was convenient that she wouldn’t have the chance to run.

Apparently, she wasn’t just causing trouble for his host.

The boy was trusted enough to be let through to the area his target was being held.

The problem was the two ninjas near her, and one in particular.

The sannin was powerful enough to handle them, even in this state, but preferred not to alert anyone else to his presence.

He did not want to slither into Izumi and hide in a cell within her until he could wheedle his way out.

He decided to approach anyway. The biggest risk was leaving his own body vulnerable at base for too long.

Sasuke being unconscious made his journey require more chakra to move about.

He needed to make this quick and return home.


	17. Love Lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Orochimaru gets what he wants and then some. Sakura doesn't

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I appreciate the Kudos and Comments and like hearing from you guys.

Sasuke appeared in the hall.

The new Uchiha couple drew a bit further apart, watching his approach.

His stride appeared a little unusual.

Sakura noticed,”Sasuke! Are you hurt?”

“Im fine, don’t worry about me.”

Sakura and Itachi tilted their heads in confusion at once.

Simple as it seemed, for Sasuke to respond to her this way was...strange.

Racoon flash stepped to the new visitor,“Do you have permission to be down here?”

Sasuke looked over the guard’s shoulder, viewing the woman sleeping in the cell.

“I asked you a question. This is your last warning.”

He simply stared back at the Anbu.

“Answer him Sasuke!”, Itachi commanded, coming to intervene.

The guard moved to restrain the younger Uchiha for a lack of answer.

Sasuke withdrew his sword in a flash, smiling widely.

Itachi threw himself into his brother’s side, knocking him away,”Don’t!”

Moving to the guard the moment Sasuke was out of the way, he placed the man into a pleasant Tsukuyomi.

When he turned back around, Sasuke approached the Anbu, crouching to look him over where he laid, smirk in place.

“What were you thinking Sasuke?!”, the elder brother hissed.

Sakura’s mouth hung open while all this unfolded, but snapped out of it now.

“Have you completely lost your mind? You looked ready to kill Anbu-san!”

A jangle of keys was heard,“Now I don’t have to.”, Sasuke replied.

He stood and approached Izumi’s cell door. “She’s coming with me.”

“You’re not yourself Sasuke. Stop this.”, Itachi was bewildered, sensing something very strange about his little brother and not

just his behavior.It felt cold, wise, a bit malevolent but not quite.

Then he recognized it, an old memory ringing within him,”Orochimaru?”

Sakura had been walking to intercept Sasuke but halted at this, eyes widened briefly before getting directly into a battle stance.

”Ever perceptive Itachi-kun”, said a voice more suited to the Sannin than the host,“I’m taking her with me to my base.”

Itachi appeared calm, his voice smooth and measured once again, giving nothing away.

”Why?”

“He asked me to take this woman and her child in exchange for himself, save your family their pride.”, the voice said with a chuckle,

using Sasuke’s body to put the key in the lock.

Itachi’s heart became a stone in his chest. Izumi was being let out for herself and Sasuke’s innocent child to be given to Orochimaru.

If he did fight, Sasuke would likely die as the host, which was out of the question because he was certain that _nothing_ could bring him to

kill his little brother. The Sannin was not above destroying the baby to escape, or many others if necessary.

Sakura would fight Orochimaru whether she had a chance at winning or not,  because that’s the kind of dedicated friend and kunoichi she was.

They’d had so little time. There was no good choice, but the best of bad choices could break her heart, something he never wanted to do.

At least the world wouldn’t have to keep turning without her.

Taking a breath, he steeled himself to say the words that might destroy everything he ever hoped for.

Itachi let his eternal mangekyou show through, addressing the inhabitant of his little brother’s body, wishing there was another way.

“It is my child, not his. He did this to protect me and the clan from embarrassment,” he gestured to Sakura,”to protect the woman I

love from finding out what kind of man I am. Izumi and I will go with you and abandon the village. I won’t allow my little brother

to suffer for my mistake.”

“Please Itachi. Don’t.”, Sakura’s voice sounded, breaking a little.

Itachi looked to Sakura, heart aching at the tears in her eyes, how she bit her trembling lip so as to not sob out loud.

Her veridian eyes begged him.

“I’m sorry, Sakura. Let Sasuke know I concede my heir rights to him for my misconduct.”, he said, wishing he could say so much more than that.

“I can’t let you leave.”, she retorted, sounding pained and betrayed, voice quivering.

He approached her, tilted her chin up, giving her a sweet kiss she wanted more than anything now as she used the contact to implore him to stay.

Once he pulled back, she fell into his arms from the sweet dream he gave her and he set her down gently,“You won’t have to.”

* * *

* * *

 

She had been here once before, the day he thought she would be gone soon.

The red sky and black landscape. Itachi's form stood across from her.

“Am I dying again?”

He shook his head, “You deserve a proper goodbye.”

“I don't want you to go!”, she cried.

“We cannot trust Sasuke’s judgement in this. Izumi’s eyes cannot be handed to an enemy, and the child….”

She wanted to argue but knew he was right.She decided to anyway.

“We could fight!”

“And lose how many? I won't risk anyone else if I don't have to.”

“Is what you said..to Orochimaru..”, she hated asking but she had to,”is that true at all?”

If not for Sasuke, he would lie to her now, in case he did not live through his time at Sound.

Sasuke would tell her the truth, there was no point.

“No, Sakura. You know me, but you may have to pretend you do not.”

“Why?”

“My cover has to be maintained.”, a soft smirk graced his handsome face, chiding,”You are too clever to ask such obvious questions.”

“Come back to me,” Sakura sobbed, breath hitching,”when this is over.”

He walked to her, touching her cheek,”I will try. I want to. Don’t come after me”

“What if I do?”, her wet green eyes looked defiantly into his soft black.

He leaned down to kiss her again, briefly. He pulled back just enough to whisper into her lips.

“My crows will always be watching, my eyes always on you, never far away.”

Then he was gone.

* * *

* * *

 

“Ah, the tragedy of love.”,Orochimaru crooned before sealing Sasuke’s lips to Izumi’s, giving his snake safe passage from one host to the other.

Sasuke's body hit the ground, Izumi’s sitting up soon after.

The former Uchiha heir heard her voice saying,“I accept your proposal Itachi-kun.Time to go.”

Looking sadly once more at the pink haired beauty, he replied,”Hai.”

* * *

* * *

Sasuke woke up strangely exhausted on a concrete floor with a throbbing skull, eyes registering Sakura kneeling

nearby at his side,a cell door flung wide before him, an unconscious guard to the left of them muttering incoherently.

His cheek suddenly stung,”Wake up you idiot!”

Did she just _slap_ him? _Idiot?_

He sat up groggily and rubbed his face, grumbling,”I’m awake.”

Sakura looked angry and grieved, her breath heaving.

“Did you rescue me?”, He asked her.

“Like hell ! ”, she screamed, actually striking a twinge of fear in him, her balled fist above her head.

He winced,”What happened?”

Naruto appeared in the hall,“Sasuke?”

Sakura immediately dropped her intended assault and ran into her blonde friend’s arms, clinging and sobbing.

“Where are they?”, Naruto asked her, hugging her back but looking around.

“Who?”, Sasuke snapped, growing irritated at the disorienting turn of events.

“Itachi-san and that Izumi girl.”, the blonde replied,then noticed the guard on the ground.”What happened Sakura?!”

“They left together… with Orochimaru.”, Sakura choked out.

Sasuke blinked a bit before it hit him.“Show me.”

Sakura stepped forward but batted his hand away when he tried to steady her chin.

“Don't touch me!”

“I won't.”, he promised, sharingan glowing now and probing her memory.

_If only Itachi hadn’t been there._

He understood it, of course, but this was an outcome he’d never imagined.

A trickle of fat tears streamed down the Uchiha’s face.

Dumbfounded at the display and a little uncomfortable, Naruto reminded gently,”Guys, we _have_ to tell Kakashi.”

Sasuke looked at Sakura, feeling slammed in the chest at the sight of her.

For once in all the time he knew her, she actually looked _hopelessly_ distraught.

He wanted to talk to her, remind her it was all to save them.

Maybe she knew.

When she looked back at him, he saw her heart burned with hate for him now.

Even when he stayed away, his selfishness had ruined things anyway.

She made a sound of disgust in the back of her throat as she walked toward the hallway.

Naruto stayed behind,”So, do you want my help or not? Let me in you tight lipped bastard! Sakura-chan looks like she wants to _murde_ r you.”

Sasuke sighed in defeat, knowing she would have a lot more to be angry at all too soon. He would let her be, but the clan wouldn’t.

Maybe there was a way to explain the long absence of two of the village’s best shinobi?

Itachi would fight if a rescue was attempted, at least until the baby was born or an alternative was found.

Sasuke nodded,“Hn. I will tell you everything.”

He wanted his brother back, the girl he’d broken to be happy again, his child safe.

Everything else meant nothing at all anymore.

 


	18. Burden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke considers the burden of the past, present, and future because of his actions and everyone else hides what they must.

The woman carrying his brother’s child had come to wrap her arms around him, and in the few seconds

Itachi had before they were shun shinned away, he made a successful connection to his best crow.

The world swirled away then, only to return him to what looked like a crude and filthy operating room.

Izumi’s body let him go and he took another step back, watching her. In a voice more like the Sannin’s than

her own, she instructed him to wait there.

It was not lost on Itachi that she did not bother to lock the door as she left, but it was far from an opportunity to escape.

A web of chakra covered the area. Even his reverse summons to his hideaway would do him no good here.

Of course, he had no intention of leaving anytime soon.

The weight of his actions settled on him in the stretching quiet, bearing down on his chest and making him want to crumble.

He thought about the heartbreak in her eyes, the memory wounding him. The possibility of coming back to find her in the

arms of his brother or not coming back at all was more than he could bear to think about just now, so he pushed it away.

Being with Sakura for the little time they had was something he could not bring himself to regret.

Never in his life had he felt so free and light, so understood and connected.

Itachi was fairly certain such had not been Sasuke’s experience with Izumi, and the more he thought about it,

the more sense it made that he had fallen into her. Their father pitted them against each other, and though Itachi despised

and dismissed it on the inside, he had been a good son and played along as little as he could get by with as Sasuke was his

father’s child to raise and it wasn’t really his place to usurp his judgement.

Poor judgement it would seem.

Sasuke had used his vast potential to compete with him in every way for Fugaku’s attention and praise, when

his rivalry with Naruto had seemed sufficient to spur him into greater development.

He didn’t have much choice in disposing of Izumi after the child was born as things stood, and he hoped that he

was right and his brother would forgive him for doing so.

After an hour with no visitor, he began meditating to calm himself and pass the time until someone came for him.

There was a presence on the other side of the mirror, likely looking in on him and standing guard, but after a while he

determined they probably weren’t coming in. He bided his time, having discovered everything of note he could from here.

* * *

 

Izuna observed the quiet man she remembered as a boy through the glass, wondering if he indeed had married her sister.

She shivered at the fact her request had brought things to this. She had promised herself to Orochimaru in exchange for

her sister’s presence, and now she not only had to deliver, but she had brought her sister to this horrible place as a woman with

child and a man that had demanded to accompany her.

The Snake Sannin would likely come for her tonight, pinning her to the bed and commanding her to open her legs as she agreed to,

and there was no escape from it.

She had spent the first part of her life disguised as a male child to avoid this very thing, being used to breed Uchiha.

If her parents had known this was how things would turn out for her anyway, perhaps she could have played with dolls and

worn dresses like the other girls her age had done.

She felt a slight spike of chakra in the room, but said nothing. It would be better for him to escape, like the other boy had done.

Like she wished she could.

* * *

* * *

 

Trudging up to the Hokage's door, Sasuke's stomach sunk. Sakura had slapped him, was ready to strike him.

Before, he could expect her to cover for or defend him. He would bet his left arm that she wouldn’t now.

Sakura had ran ahead and was likely telling Kakashi everything. He would surely be interrogated, at the very least.

He sat down heavily on the bench just outside the entrance, wondering how he could make things right from a cell in T and I .

Shikamaru sauntered up, coming to a stop and leaning on the wall, hands shoved in his pockets.

He sighed heavily and said, “You guys aren't needed here right now. Hokage-sama said he'll call you when he's ready for your report.”

Hearing this, Sasuke rose to leave while he still could, tugging Naruto’s sleeve in a clear signal to follow.

Shikamaru warned,”Guys, don't go too far. He could call at any time.”

“Sure thing Shikamaru!”, Naruto called behind him, turning to give Sasuke a concerned side glance as they scurried away.

“Where are we going Sasuke?”

As if he wanted to go anywhere near home after what happened, or talk in a public place,“Your place, moron.”

* * *

* * *

 

Sakura peered out the window until Sasuke and Naruto were out of sight, relieved.

She had raced ahead and asked for privacy before Sasuke could ruin himself.

“So, can I go or not?”

The Sixth sighed heavily.Granted, no one had been hurt. Izumi had been neutralized for now. His best spy was invited to

Orochimaru’s lair and he had a reverse summon in place that only one other very loyal shinobi knew of, two if

he ordered what Sakura wanted. She was right, Itachi would likely find a way to escape to his hideaway with the

infant when he was ready. He was always very thorough and probably had multiple protections in place to safeguard it.

It was just.. he had a feeling Sakura’s pain was far from over.

“Two nights a week Sakura, no more. I want a location, too.”

Clearly she struggled with his request, worried about sharing her husband's escape route, but she relented after a long silence.

It was this or have no way to reach him. Itachi wouldn’t be strolling back through the gates of Konoha anytime soon.

She could trust Kakashi. Well, mostly. She couldn’t tell him about Sasuke’s part in this yet, or maybe ever.

Sakura had enough diplomatic experience to know you don’t imprison a family’s only heir, especially when that clan

has threatened Konoha’s stability before. He would likely come to the same conclusion, so not saying anything for now

about his part in things was the best option.

“Deal.”

Kakashi nodded,”Get to it then.”

“I need to get my things. Can you summon Shisui to meet me at the gates in an hour?”

* * *

* * *

 

Sasuke grimaced but did not verbalize his distaste of the mess in Naruto’s apartment, heading straight for

the kitchen and rummaging for usable tea.

“What do you know already?”, he asked Naruto, distantly wondering what horrors awaited in the tea tins.

“That Uchiha lady is pregnant, probably your kid. Is she the one you wanted to marry?”

“Hn.” Explaining why he didn’t anymore and probably never should have was an embarrassment he would deal

with when it became necessary.

“Why did your brother leave with her?”, the blonde asked, a dark expression taking over his normally sunny countenance,

pounding a fist into his hand,”I'm gonna give him a serious beat down for hurting Sakura-chan like that! If you see that bastard

first, you tell him I’ll see him on the training grounds, just like he promised!”

Sasuke quirked a brow, wondering why his peaceful sibling had offered to fight his friend.

”When did he? Why?”

“He said if I didn’t like the way he treated Sakura-chan we could handle things that way.”

It wasn't hard to determine why his brother would say something like that to Naruto.

He wanted to be in the blonde’s good graces for Sakura’s sake.

Guilt washed over Sasuke so strongly his knees threatened to wobble.

“Do you think he really cares about her?”, he asked, back turned to his friend.

“I did before he went and left!”, Naruto fumed. “Here I thought I’d never seen anyone so wrapped since Lee. He kept

spacing out when we were playing cards, and when I got his attention again and teased him about being so into Sakura,

he went all red. I was so happy for her after all…”, the blonde looked up and trailed off, realizing Sasuke was glaring at him

now and daring him to finish that sentence. All was silent for a while, and Sasuke turned back to make the tea.

The raven haired man finally spoke,“Izumi was Itachi’s fiancé before Sakura.”

The blonde's eyes went wide,“Is he the dad… or are you?”

He would tell him the truth, eventually.

“Never mind that for now.”

“Whaddya mean never mind?!”

“Look, Naruto, I'm worried about Sakura too.My brother has to come back. Soon. If he doesn't,” Sasuke swallowed,

struggling to get it out,”she'll be ordered by my clan to marry and breed with me in his absence.”

Naruto laughed, incredulous, “There's no way she would do that Sasuke.”

That she would probably rather die at this point went unspoken.

“I know.”, Sasuke acknowledged.

“What could your backwards clan do to her for saying no anyway?”, Naruto asked.

Sasuke, alarmed enough at the consequences for both of them, stayed silent.

Marriage in the main family was given a year to produce a pregnancy, to prove it viable in providing the next generation.

Itachi would have the respect necessary to protect her from this. Sasuke knew he had a long way to go before he measured

up, if he ever could. No one would listen to him at first, he would start as a puppet.

Hopefully Itachi had the mercy within him not to tell the clan he had ‘fathered’ a child with Izumi and all of this

could be explained away somehow. If Itachi was declared a missing nin or a traitor, Sasuke would be required

to immediately take his brother’s place with his new wife.

In Sakura’s memories, he had seen the brief hesitation in his brother when Sakura asked if his confession was true,

as if he thought it best to lie. He had a horrible feeling Itachi would make sure the clan knew what he claimed

to the Snake sannin as truth, if for no other reason than preparing Sasuke to replace him if he fell and give Sakura

a sense of family and comfort in his death.

Being forced to do this to them would be hellish, and he hoped there was another way. He already felt crushed by shame.

Well, there was _one_ way. ”Do you think she might be pregnant?”, Sasuke asked, trying to keep his voice flat.

Naruto rolled his eyes,“Sakura’s a medic nin Sasuke, she doesn't want kids yet.”

The two men suddenly flinched and fell quiet.

Sakura was making her way up the stairs, her chakra erratic and pinching the air around them.

Naruto hopped up and let her in before she could punch the door open.

She ignored her blonde teammate, taking two steps inside and narrowing her eyes at Sasuke.

“I told Kakashi Orochimaru came on his own for Izumi and Itachi volunteered to defect to find out where his base

was.”, she spat, glaring at the new Uchiha heir with her balled fists on her hips.

She took a menacing step towards him, sneering,”Satisfied?”

Obviously a rhetorical question meant to pick a fight, Sasuke did not reply to it.

He was astonished that she hadn’t thrown him under the bus with the Hokage.

Her reddened eyes and blotchy face from crying stabbed him with guilt once again.

The only good news he could think of right now was his helper in Orochimaru's lair. Deciding on telling her

about that instead of rising to her bait was the best he could manage to comfort her.

“There is another Uchiha there, one who seems to care about Konoha. She has a strong and layered genjutsu over her

eyes, but she used them on me to keep Orochimaru out of my head. Itachi will probably have an ally.”

Sakura nodded, scrunching her brow and momentarily distracted from her wrath by this new information.

For ten blessed seconds of silence, she seemed deep in thought. Then she got right back to business,“We need

to go back to the compound. I need to pack my things and I'm not going to face your parents alone.”

“Are you going after Itachi-san?”, Naruto asked her.

Sasuke immediately chimed in without waiting for her answer,“I’m coming too.”

Sakura vented her fury at him, hoping it stung,“You wanted his life. Now you’ve got it. Let me handle this.”

“I need to get him out of there!”, the dark haired man ranted, his panic and guilt choking him,”This is my burden!”

“You’re the burden!”, Sakura yelled, feeling slightly satisfied at Sasuke’s barest flinch at her words,”Stay out of

my way Sasuke! Go home and fill his shoes, and try not to embarrass yourself. You owe him that at least.”

Clinging to what felt like his last thread of vanity, stepping forward and towering over her, he asked,“What can

you do that I can’t?”

“Be there for my family without destroying it.”, she retorted, turning back to the door and taking her leave.

Astonished, both boys watched her go in silence.

“What are we gonna do now? Should we stop her?”, Naruto asked when she turned out of sight, eaten up with

worry for his friends. The admiration Sakura had held onto for his best friend even after the break up had just

vanished before his eyes, and Sasuke had to feel like dirt to let her talk to him like that.

The young Uchiha was taken aback by Sakura's venom at first, but as she walked away to retrieve her things alone

after all, rather than bear his presence, he could admit he deserved even more.

He only hoped he hadn't made such a mess that it would have no end in sight.

Sasuke answered his friend at last,voice sounding hollow,“I'll do whatever the two of them ask me to. For now,

it’s staying out of her way.”

Naruto clapped his friend’s back and said,”Alright Sasuke.”, but his smile faltered.

Sadness gripped the heart of the man hosting the nine tailed fox. Sasuke being pressured into taking Sakura as

a wife after obviously feeling utterly ashamed about what he’d done already wouldn’t be good for him at all, and Sakura…

what if she left the village instead? He never really imagined her being gone forever from his life.

The thought made his chest ache, even worse than the thought of her crying again over lost love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has been awhile since I've updated this but I have continued on paper until my computer was well again.


	19. Sightseeing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Itachi watches his family and tries to discover Orochimaru's plans.

Itachi couldn't sense anyone but his observer nearby.

It was time to check in on his wife and brother. Sitting here waiting in an enemy base for someone to come

in was getting to him. If nothing else, the brief flare of chakra required might draw someone to get on with things.

He split his consciousness, lending a link with it to Rangou, a crow implanted with one of his father's original

eyes and currently keeping eyes on his brother in case he tried to interfere.

The crow cocked it’s head, showing it’s master what it was seeing.

Sasuke looked very contrite walking from Naruto's apartment to the compound.

Rangou gave the younger brother a few minutes once entering their home to make it upstairs to his room before landing

near the window.

Sasuke sighed, took something from his drawer near the bottom, and stood.

Sakura’s dress, the one she’d been wearing in the room at the club, was in Sasuke’s hands.

He walked out of his bedroom with it, turning left toward Itachi’s room.

The crow moved to the next window.The door opened and light illuminated the room.

Sasuke walked to his brother’s bed, laying the red silk across the comforter.

He stared at the scene for a moment, shook his head, then walked back towards the hall.

The light switched off and the door closed behind him as he left the room, drowning it in darkness again.

On the floor of the dingy operating room, Itachi’s heart dared to hope.

Maybe giving his little brother a chance wasn’t such a futile idea after all.

Maybe it was just what Sasuke needed.

The crow flew off and headed in the direction Itachi’s lover had gone, searching out her chakra.

She was waiting outside the front gates. A figure dropped down from them and approached her.

“Sasuke is home now. I barely missed him and had to get out, but I’d just finished packing for you.”

Shisui thrust his hand forward with her pack clutched in it,”Here you go.”

Sakura only felt a little relieved. She wasn’t ready to face the Uchiha clan head or his wife right now.

What if she mentioned nothing and they found out later _she knew_ where their son had gone?

Seeing Sasuke’s face, looking so lost and frightened, had shaken her even more. She never wanted to see that again.

Even yelling at him, _insulting_ him, hadn’t wiped it away from his countenance. Luring him into a fight clearly only worked for Naruto.

Shisui knew nothing and she was going to have to tell her husband's  _best friend_. Not here though.

“Thank you Shisui-san.Itachi needs me to meet him at the cottage you brought my things to. There’s

been some trouble and I need to get there right away.Take me there.” Shisui nodded at her,”Put your pack on then.”

She did. He stepped forward and grasped her arm without another word, and just as she was about to jerk it away

from him, she felt a rush of speed. Rangou blinked at the sudden disappearance of the two shinobi he’d been watching,

and then at the link being broken between him and his master.

Itachi let out a slow breath, firmly reminding himself that fleeing to Sakura this moment was utterly foolish.

Seeing her seeking a way to him made him ache. His heart thumped and his body demanded him to leave, to run until she

was folded in his arms. He focused his concentration to keep his body seated until the impulse faded into the background.

Sakura was going to his hideaway. It wasn’t the same, but he could try to find a way to send a clone, see her for a moment

more through it before he convinced her to let him finish this. Anbu wouldn’t be searching for him for a day or so…

Something about this place threw off his ability to sense his periphery, and it was unlikely it would even work here, but it was

often better to investigate than assume.

Dimly, he realized he was going mad, risking too much for even a stolen moment or a kiss or a touch of her hand.

* * *

* * *

 

Watching stealthily,Izuna had noticed Itachi jump in his own skin and open his eyes when the link was broken.

She folded her arms and smirked, eyebrow raised at his flushed face. He certainly seemed like a smitten Uchiha.

How much had Izumi changed to deserve such love and how was he watching her?

The man who had rescued Izuna from her now captive sister breezed past her, close enough to whisper in her

ear,”Be ready for me after dinner.”, before moving around the corner and entering the room she was observing.

“How is our new guest doing?”, the medic nin down the hall inquired, making his way towards her.

“Very cooperative.”, she answered, grateful for the distraction, at least until he spoke again.

“That’s good news.”, Kabuto replied, motioning her to follow him,” I need your help with Izumi.”

Swallowing, she nodded and followed after him,”What’s wrong?”.

* * *

* * *

 

Itachi held up his hands in preparation to make a kage bunshin, then put them down at the sound of the door opening.

The Sannin glided into the room, his purple robes swirled around his silent steps, chakra just a wisp.

Itachi wondered why he was hiding his power from him, or if he was simply weakened.

Orochimaru took a few steps toward Itachi then stopped just before him, shaking his head of glossy black

hair,”Tsk,Tsk, Itachi-kun.Don't bother with that here. I wouldn't want my less talented guests to get any ideas

and end up harming themselves. Come with me.”

Itachi stood, waiting for the sannin to lead the way.

* * *

* * *

 

Izumi’s mind had been an open book once he returned to Sound. It didn’t take Orochimaru long to determine

Itachi had lied and Sasuke had been telling the truth. Still, the trade was a good one. Itachi was predictable where Sasuke was not.

The elder Uchiha brother moved with predatory grace, and though the Sannin was confident in his dominance here, showing

the young man his back was making him a little uneasy. He spoke to foster kinship or get a reaction.

“I didn’t want to fight either, Itachi-kun. Though at first I believed you.”

Itachi considered it was likely that he wished to avoid fighting inside Konoha also.

"Believed?", Itachi asked, wondering what lie Orochimaru was referring to.

"Your brother and I have something in common.”, his captor replied,"Soon we will be fathers.”

Itachi kept his face carefully blank, offering nothing as he walked steadily behind. Maybe the Sannin was guessing or maybe he knew.

Itachi guessed why Izumi was taken.“Why do you want Izumi? She is already with child.”

Orochimaru shot him a smirking glance over his shoulder,“Izumi has the eyes of my child’s mother. As you know,

the relationship must be close. Besides, it’s best to keep promises to the mother of your child when you can, ne Itachi-kun?”

He paused for a beat then, letting it sink in for his guest. He had not taken Izuna yet, but he would very soon, and she was

as able as he to reproduce. It was only a matter of time.

Itachi’s fist clenched,“I wouldn’t know.”

The Sannin’s eyes glittered,“Perhaps you will soon. Your wife is plenty young and healthy.”

His comment about Sakura was soundly ignored. He would not draw this man’s attention to her in any way

and it irked him that Orochimaru knew of her. It was time to change the subject.

“Izuna is alive?”, Itachi asked, coming to the only conclusion available. He had seen the burned bodies himself,

of her and her husband, but they were unrecognizable. It was possible, but who had taken her place?

“Yes, and I promised her an opportunity of revenge.”, the Sannin answered.

“What of me then?”, Itachi asked, wondering why he was being kept alive. Or maybe he was marching to his death right now.

The man leading him turned to face him, yellow eyes regarding him with mirth that felt very out of place,“It will

be you or the woman staying, unless you want the same deal I gave Izumi and trade your sibling instead.”

A wide grin stretched beneath the slitted pupils.”Seeing as you took the blame for him, I don't expect that, or

any trouble from you. At least not yet.”

“If i stay?”, Itachi asked, once again viewing the back of his jailer as he turned and strode down the endless hall before

them,”What will happen to Izumi and the child?”

Orochimaru waved his hand at the question, as if it were only an afterthought.

“Izumi will be disarmed and her and her child can go back to Konoha, if Izuna wishes it.”

The Sannin wanted his child to wield the Eternal Mangekyo, to keep Izuna compliant then. Maybe there was more?

“What do _you_ wish?”, the Uchiha inquired.

Orochimaru nodded, as if he’d been waiting for this question.

“Even an Uchiha woman without eyes will produce Uchiha offspring. I only require one, but I would be more

than willing to have both. Then _you_ can return with your brother’s child.”

The Snake Sannin was giving him an option of escaping with the child he came for while leaving two of his clan’s

women behind, one forcibly blinded and likely both forced into brood mares. He was practically daring him to fight

or align himself with the enemy. There was no way Itachi could allow it. He wasn't sure about his own strategy here yet,

but Orochimaru’s was clear: give him options that were tempting personally but left his clan open to infiltration and attack

through their bloodline.

Something he could blackmail the clan heir with later, perhaps when he needed a favor, if he became desperate enough to acquiesce.

“In the meantime?”, Itachi asked, relaxing his jaw so not to speak through gritted teeth.

The Sannin stopped at a large red door, waving a hand to make it open.

“You may rest. There is no chakra web here. I noticed you were trying to make a clone.”

Playful disapproval, the kind reserved for a child drawing or saying something he shouldn’t, played over his unnaturally pale face.

“Even if you do, anything directly outside of the base will be destroyed on sight.If you want to go you may try, but you will go alone

….and likely die anyways.”

Itachi nodded. If Orochimaru spoke the truth, it was very fortunate. He would not need to fear sentries with his seal.

“Now I must go.”, the Sannin announced, smirking in a way that made Itachi cringe,” I don’t want to keep a pretty lady waiting.”

The moment the door shut, Itachi made a clone with his seal, ordering it to shunshin over to his hiding place.

He paced the floor, awaiting it's return.

* * *

* * *

 

They’d been arguing for a while now. Sakura looked tired and a little exasperated.

Shisui looked beside himself,“You’re not trying to take him back?”

The pinkette sighed and shook her head, “There is no point. What he did wasn’t wrong.”

“But he’ll be declared missing!”, he protested,”If he does come back it will be as a missing nin!”

Her green eyes regarded him seriously,“If we can defeat Orochimaru because of his position there, Konoha will forgive him.”

This pink haired girl possibly had a point, but that was no small feat.

They’d tried it before and lost so many. It was like they always knew when they were coming.

Shisui rolled his eyes at her then, paced a bit. Did she realize what that might take?

“Why not just tell them the truth? Exonerate him, let Sasuke get punished for his stupidity?!”

He didn’t want to be the one to tell her what could happen if Itachi was declared a traitor, especially where it

concerned her personally.Worse, too often he had seen his kin with their pining hearts return from long and seemingly

hopeless missions to find the women they loved outside the clan in the arms of another. Itachi was clearly bonded to

her and the thought of watching his favorite cousin suffer the way Sasuke had, undeserved, was something he wasn’t

sure he could bear. Izumi could rot there for all he cared, and he was certain Fugaku and the Hokage felt the same way.

Shisui was confident his cousin could escape if nothing else, even if it took some time to gain the trust needed to do it.

Yet, Itachi had a soft heart, especially for anything concerning Sasuke. There was no way he would leave his niece or nephew there.

“What about _you_?”, Shisui spat out, eyes narrowed,”My lovesick cousin adores you. Your marriage will be void if anyone believes this.”

The clone hiding in the trees frowned at Shisui's confession, but listened even more intently, so as not to miss a breath of her answer.

Sakura shrugged sadly,“It doesn’t matter. He’ll do what he thinks is right.”

Shisui raised a brow in disbelief that she would accept this, regardless of how true it was.

”What if we defeat Orochimaru and Itachi comes back with a wife and child?”

It was possible, she knew it. Not wanting him was something she couldn't fathom now, but she would honor him.

At least.... she really hoped she would, or that he wouldn't make her.

She smiled wistfully then,”I trust him and I know how he feels.”

Moved by this, the clone dropped out of the tree to the earth to approach her, but never hit the ground.

Alarmed by the unseen presence of another with them, Shisui hit it with a kunai the moment it came into view.

After seeing Itachi’s surprised face poof out of existence, he turned to Sakura, cringing.

_Oh Shit._

The small pink haired girl looked possessed with rage.

“ You idiot!”, she wailed. “I had something really important to tell him!”

* * *

* * *

 

His clone’s memories slammed into him and Itachi’s heart sped in his chest.

Knowing that she was on his side even now flooded his entire body with pleasure, striking a well of shocking

depth filled with the need for her presence. Shisui’s worries were fairly unfounded. Izumi would never see Konoha again

if he had any say in it. Even if he did come back with Izumi as a wife and Sasuke’s child as his own for the clan’s

and his brother’s sake, he doubted he could keep his hands off of Sakura. He knew he would take her anyway if she let him.

It made forgiving his brother so much easier.

He shook his head, bemused at his lack of shame. When had he turned into this?

Perhaps when he had ravaged her against the door of her office, the forbidden taste of her on his tongue while he

pounded into her, his mind screaming with each thrust: _mine, mine, mine_.

He let out a small amused chuckle at the look on Shisui’s face when he realised he destroyed his clone.

At least they knew he could send one from here. He could not expend himself regularly enough to be two places at

once often, but he was not completely cut off from the family he loved while he protected the new piece of his family here.

He remembered his little brother as a baby, how amazed at life Sasuke’s entrance into it had made him, and wondered what

being an uncle would be like.

Maybe it would soothe the ache of never being a father himself, something Sakura was not convinced of.

He preferred not to hope and just accept it, but now that he had claimed the woman he loved, the fear had crept in.

That she would find it was hopeless and change her mind, suffering through it anyway for him.

That she would not be able to forgive him for the remedy he had in mind, because he wouldn’t let her do that.

Only time would tell.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	20. Mercy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Izuna thinks about the past as she makes her way to her sister's cell.

Flashback:

 

_ The woman who watched over she and Izumi asked her to dress in a kimono she brought her that afternoon. _

_ Izuna was thrilled to try it on. She was 16 now, nearly a woman, and pleased to look like one that night.  _

_ Her hair was pinned up prettily, her lithe form and budding breasts surrounded by a deep plum fabric with white lillies. _

_ She smiled happily at herself in the mirror, her little sister nodding in approval, when their guardian appeared to  _

_ tell her she looked lovely and it was time to go.They walked in a peaceful silence down a narrow path within the  _

_ compound until Izuna inquired where they were headed. The old woman tilted her lips upwards, softness in her eyes.  _

_ “I have found a lovely family for you, Izuna. I think you will be very happy there.” _

_ Izuna stopped in her tracks, shocked and trying to understand,”Why can’t we stay with you?” _

_ The woman turned back to her, having realized Izuna had halted.“You’re a lovely girl, and I’ve received many requests _

_ for your hand.”, she smiled encouragingly.”I know you don’t wish to part from Izumi-chan, but surely you knew you  _

_ would have your own families someday, and I believe this is a good match for you. Besides, the young man here  _

_ would be likely to grant her a stay if you please him.” _

_ Izuna let out a sigh, stifling the urge to turn and run. But where would she turn? _

_ Her father was dead, her mother chose this for them by taking her own life. _

_ The only other person she had been close to was the Iwa boy, and she hadn’t seen him since they were dragged back _

_ to Konoha. She would probably never see him again. _

_ “Hai.” _

_ The family was gracious to her, welcoming and asking her many questions they seemed to like her answers to.  _

_ The boy was silent, but staring and blushing while trying to be subtle about it, fidgeting nervously as he waited for _

_ the approval of his parents.  _

_ He was very attractive, lean but muscled with large dark eyes, a sweetness to the heat in them as he gazed at her.  _

_ His cheekbones high but masculine, a strong jaw, soft ebony hair just brushed his brow and tumbled to his broad shoulders. _

_ Warmth crept up her neck as she got a better look at his form, only to raise her eyes back to his face and see  _

_ a rather delighted smirk at her appraisal that made her cheeks burn. _

So this is what mother meant by chemistry.

_ Fugaku-sama was called and she and the boy were told to wait in the garden. _

_ It was only then she found out his name. _

_ “I am Saitku.”, he said, taking her hand boldly and bringing her nearer. _

He smells wonderful _ , she thought, tingling at the feeling of his larger hand enveloping her small one. _

_ He observed her quietly for awhile, then asked her,”Are you afraid?” _

_ “Of what?”, she asked, furrowing her brow. _

_ Just then his mother came out into the garden, smiling. _

_ “Your marriage has been made official. Welcome to our home!” _

_ Izuna’s mouth fell open, wanting to protest, but remembering her guardians words. _

“the young man here would be likely to grant her a stay if you please him.”

_ She snapped it shut, nodding with what smile she could manage on her lips. _

_ Her new husband’s face was blank as he led her upstairs to his room, his hold on her wrist gentle but insistent,  _

_ shutting and locking the door behind them.  _

_ She worried her bottom lip with her teeth at his demeanor.Where did all his warmth go? _

_ She saw it again when he turned his back to the door and faced her. _

_ His brows furrowed, concern in his eyes. He asked her again,”Are you afraid?” _

Yes. Definitely.

_ “Are you?”, she returned, hoping her voice hadn’t trembled as much as she thought. _

_ Now she understood his question earlier all too well. _

_ He walked closer to her, so close, a tentative hand coming to her cheek. _

_ When he saw she allowed it, he let out a relieved breath and a small smirk came to his lovely face, a light tremble  _

_ in his hand. _ _ " _ _ Only if you cannot forgive me. I am not sure how to care for you.”, he said, sweeping his glance from her _

_ head to her toes and back again to meet her eyes earnestly. _ _ ”I may not do it right at first, but if you forgive me _

_ I will learn. I wish to please you and bring you happiness.” _

_ She learned over the next few months of his good heart, that the words he spoke that night were very true, and  _

_ that he was willing to forgive her as she learned him as well. _

_ One morning, on her way to retrieve Izumi for a visit to her new home with Saitku, she realized she had fallen in  _

_ love and never wanted to part with him. The night before had been an intense bout of lovemaking, his kisses and  _

_ caresses reverent with gratitude at the news of impending parenthood, culminating in heated whispers and love bites that  _

_ stung even now and a throbbing reminder of his passion for her as she walked.  _

_ She smiled to herself as she came to the door of the woman who cared for her after her parents died and knocked. _

_ The handsome older woman opened the door and stepped aside to let her in,“You look radiant, Izuna-chan! Your husband  _

_ must be bringing you joy!”  _

_ Izuna’s face flushed with pride,”He is.” _

_ “Come. Sit with me a moment. I have news about Izumi-chan.” _

_ Izuna kept her own news to herself that day. _

_ She was excited to find Izumi had been selected for a betrothal, but as soon as she got Izumi home with her,  _

_ she found out her sister was anything but.  _ _ “Let me stay with you before I am given away.”, her sister had cried  _

_ to her that night, quivering and holding her tight about the middle,”Everyone leaves me behind! Let me be with you while I can.”  _

_ Izuna’s eyes, filled with unshed tears at her little sister’s heartbroken and fearful request, met her husband’s. _

_ His heart was moved as well, and he nodded in agreement. _

 

If only she’d made her go back….

It was much too late now.Tears wouldn’t move her this time, nor anything else her sister said.

Itachi-san would need to speak for her character, and she hoped all was well.

Ten years ago she would not have imagined forgiving her sister, but time had made her thirst for doing just that.

Her childhood friend from Iwa was coming soon, with new friends of his own, to rescue her.

She wanted to give Izumi a chance to come with her this time, wanted her to be worthy of that chance.

Time was running out, and staying here would be suicide when they came.

 

Or murder.

 

Her heart twisted within her chest as she approached the cells with Kabuto. 

She would right her mistake with Izumi before she left this awful place, one way or the other.


	21. Night falls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Izuna faces her sister, Orochimaru, her Iwa friend ( guess who ) and her past.  
> Sasuke gets a late night visitor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a darker chapter: character death, captivity, body horror, miscarriage, etc.

Kabuto smirked at his new favorite hostage, no pity within him.

She looked very much like the wounded animal she was.

Her clothes were ripped, especially near the bustline, exposing too much of her chest.

Dirt and dampness turned her shining hair into unkempt and tangled strings that hung over her face.

A blood soaked cloth covered her eyes, indentations were there should be none. 

She was kneeling, chained with chakra restraints fastened into the floor at her feet. 

Her wrists were extended along the wall behind her and chained as well.

Her skin was sheened with sweat, likely from the effort of straining against her bonds.

“Her eyes?”, Izuna asked in nearly a whisper, shocked at the display.

“Ripped from me,” Izumi said lowly, venom dripping in her voice,”just like they want to do to my child.”

“Surgically removed.”,the medic corrected.

Izuna curled her fist and dug her nails in to keep her face straight, a rage swirling in her gut.

Surely Izumi knew better than to try inciting pity for her pregnancy after what she’d done. 

Was there even a drop of remorse in the woman before her?

“I will never see my husband again, never hold our child. You took them, sister.”

Izumi chuckled weakly, dropping her head,”I was never enough for you.You’re just like mother.”

Struck silent and still at this, the elder sister just stared at Izumi as she continued,“I am not enough for 

anyone.I bet you already have someone to spread your legs for now to give you another child while you

steal the only family I might have had that could love me.”

“Your husband is here.”, Izuna replied.

“She’s unmarried.”, Kabuto quipped, eyeing Izumi with disdain.”The man here is the child’s uncle,  _ her former fiance _ .

The father brought her to us, wanting rid of her once she gave birth.”

“I will kill this child myself before Sasuke lays one hand on it!”, Izumi hissed.

“You’ll sit tight and be good whether you want to or not.”, the medic told her.

The last shred of hope Izuna had held onto for her sister wanted to break as she stared on in horror.

Itachi had clearly been watching someone else. No one would be blushing like that after witnessing something

like  _ this _ . It must be true.  Izumi had been busy trying to hurt yet another family.

Nothing had changed.

Izuna was feeling rather ill.

“What help did you need Kabuto-san?”, she asked, wanting to get away from all of this for now.

He nodded,“Orochimaru-sama asked me to show you how she’s being treated and explain why, ask what you’d

like him to do. He retains her eyes for the child you pledged to bear, and she’s been attempting to destroy her

baby ever since she woke up here.She’s been fully restrained and can’t do it any harm now.

He promised the brothers to release the infant to them upon birth, but if you ask to keep the child yourself, he

will give it to you instead.” He shrugged,”Or if you wish her dead, I can kill her now.”

Izumi smirked. Death was better than this.She hoped to push the issue,“So you  _ have _ become a whore, dear sister.

Don’t tell me you want an old man pushing himself between your legs, or have you deluded yourself enough 

to believe you do? A shame he’s nothing like Saitku. I certainly wanted _him_.”

“Shut up!”, Izuna shouted.”He wouldn’t have you!”

“Only because he feared punishment.”, Izumi stated, voice even now that her sister’s wasn’t.

“Because he knew you were trying to destroy us.”, Izuna replied, voice trembling.

She turned and walked away quickly, unable to hear anymore.

Kabuto watched her go, then turned back to Izumi.”So, you tried to bed her husband?”

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

  
  


Izuna laid on her bed and wept, unable to even think about eating without feeling the bile rise up.

She brought her pillow to her face to muffle her cries.

Something crawled on her hand and she quickly jerked it away. A spider, white as clay.

She reached her hand out to it, let it crawl on and settle in her palm.

“I have to stay and give myself to him.”, she told it.

The spider frowned and sagged a bit.

“It seems Izumi can’t be saved, but she’s pregnant and there are innocent people here.The heir of my clan 

came here with my sister. I need to talk to him.”

The spider looked at her sadly, nuzzled her palm.

It made her smile through her tears.”I miss you too.”

The little creature perked up at this and danced, making her giggle like he always managed to do. 

Like when they were children and he was one of her few spots of joy. Before..

Her smile faded soon enough.

“I have to get ready now Dei-kun. I didn’t show for dinner and someone will be coming to fetch me.”

The spider looked at her a moment longer, then skittered away and out of the barred window of her room.

 

Izuna went to her closet, trying not to think about why she was finding something pretty to wear.

She wondered for the thousandth time why her sister had been so jealous of her.

Izumi was exotically beautiful with curves even at a young age. Izuna herself was slender with very modest

curves and long legs, more muscle than soft skin from the long days with nothing to do here but train, 

not a typical beauty. Her twin braids brushed her small waist, black as night.

Her lips were the only thing full and soft about her she supposed. 

Other than holding her to her promise she wasn’t sure Orochimaru was very interested in her physically anyway.

The red headed healer had said he preferred very curvy women, like an old teammate he fancied.

She had heard his cool and calm demeanor would fall away in the bedroom, and she was frightened to see

that side of him.The last time she was intimate with a man it was on the outskirts of Konoha, in a grass clearing

with Saitku. What started with him coaxing her onto his lap while he kissed her adoringly ended with his arms

locked around her so tightly she couldn’t get free, Izumi’s kunai buried strategically in his spine.

Her own screaming brought spectators, one of them being hit with a power of hers she never knew she had as 

her eyes locked in helpless panic on the poor young girl unfortunate enough to be in her line of vision: Amaterasu.

Izumi had volunteered her as the replacement member of Orochimaru’s scout team.

The stress and injuries forced the loss of Izuna's child.

For the last ten years the Sannin had cared for her, so to speak, but he wasn’t a kind man. 

The less she thought about that the better. He was coming, nearly here.

Time had run out for avoiding it.

She finished putting herself together and looked at herself in the mirror one last time.

Unbidden, Izumi’s words rang in her mind.

_ “Only because he feared punishment.” _

Her lies hurt so much and cut so deep because they were half true.

She clenched her fists at the memory of the day she saw her husband drag her wet and quite naked sister

into the room by the arm, a towel wrapped around his trim waist and his hair dripping, shouting like she had

never heard him before and demanding she remove Izumi from his presence. 

_ “She is a promised woman! She seeks my life!”, his voice had thundered, then became seething and dangerous, _

_ ”Take her away... this instant…. before I seek hers.” _

She had seen it in his eyes. Yes, he was tempted and feared punishment, but that wasn’t all.

Saitku had loved her, was furious with himself for feeling the temptation Izumi appeared to have forced on him,

and was doing the only thing he could think of to protect what they had together.

A long slender hand grasped her shoulder, breaking her away from her thoughts.

“You weren’t at dinner Izuna-chan.”, a silken voice said near her ear.

Her eyes refocused and she looked back up in the mirror to see Orochimaru just behind her.

_ Let’s get this over with. _

“I’m ready.”, she said, failing to shove her emotions away to some far, dark corner.

He hummed an acknowledgement of her words, noticing her trembling lips as he circled her.

“I know this is not a perfect arrangement for you Izuna-chan. I have been more of a parent to you than a friend or a lover.” 

She nodded, but said nothing in return, unsure where he was going with this.

”Therefore, when we are being intimate I will give you a concession.”

He placed two slender fingers under her chin, moving her eyes to his amused yellow ones, waiting for her response.

”Which is?”, she inquired, wanting to roll her eyes at his dramatics and his blatant attempt at manipulating her

further, as if he didn’t hold most of the cards already.

“Would you prefer to see me, or someone else? Your late husband perhaps?”

_ Bastard _ , she thought. She would never sully the memory of her husband that way, and he knew it.

Just the thought of the Snake Sannin screwing her in the form of the only man she’d ever loved made her 

want to scream.

”Not him.”, she replied.

“Ah,” he smiled widely,”You do want me then?”

So she had to admit something like that, untrue and distasteful, or admit to someone else she was attracted to?

A face came to mind.

“That Uchiha boy, the one who was here only a day.”

Orochimaru chuckled,”As you wish.”

 

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

 

Sasuke’s mind wouldn’t shut off. He stared at the ceiling for hours, wishing he’d have just sacrificed his pride 

enough to ask Sakura to show him the sleep jutsu she used on missions.

Naruto could sleep through anything and never seemed to need it. He doubted the Copy nin would ever use a jutsu

like that. Kakashi slept lightly every moment he could, awoke at the slightest noise if he wasn’t wearing earplugs.

His stubborn female teammate had wanted him to ask, never allowing him to see how she did it. 

He wondered if Sakura ever showed Itachi. His brother wouldn’t have hesitated to request it.

Maybe, if she didn’t murder him this week, he would ask her. It seemed there would be plenty of sleepless 

nights in his future.

Sasuke groaned in frustration. It was clear enough at this point he was the bane of Sakura’s existence when

he wanted to be anything but.He itched to run around repairing the damage he’d done if he could, but she’d

only asked him one thing: to fucking sit here and do nothing.

 

A rustling sound in the hall caught his attention.

 

Shisui’s chakra flared just outside his bedroom door, at one in the morning.

Sasuke tensed, sitting up in his bed. The door flew open, Shisui slamming into him and knocking his head 

on the headboard faster than he could blink. Sasuke gritted his teeth and pushed his older cousin away, leaping

off the bed to stand.

”What?”, he hissed lowly, not wanting his parents in here and alarmed. 

Shisui’s narrowed eyes glowed hot,”If Itachi dies for this, I’ll hunt you myself.”

Sasuke nodded, agreeing. Humility seemed his only friend today.

“You won’t  _ touch _ Sakura until he comes back and you  _ won’t  _ humiliate us or her by screwing around if you 

take his place. Got it?”

Humility was getting old quickly, and bowing down to Shisui was something he could only bring himself to do once.

Sasuke glared at him, letting the air crackle with electricity around him in warning.

“I know what’s expected of me.”

Shisui huffed, folding his arms over his broad chest and looking fully unintimidated.

”You will.”, he snarked, vanishing from the room with a poof.

Sasuke grabbed his cloak and left. He could find a tree to sleep under. It was safer than simply sitting here

waiting to be attacked again and stare at the walls for sleep that never came.

 


	22. Not Close Enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Orochimaru lays with Izuna, Deidara complains to someone he hopes can help, Sasuke considers his situation and decides on someone to help him...maybe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had planned a sort of “Road to Ninja” type Akatsuki here because Obito and Zetsu are not members in this story, just like in that universe. However, in this Au they have traded members between Sound and themselves. I miss Sakura in this story already and we need to visit her next time, see what she's up to.

Orochimaru watched Izuna’s eyes glaze as she fell into the genjutsu he cast. If she wanted out of it she

could easily undo it. He was torn on whether he wanted her to choose staying within his illusion or not,

but he knew it was best for her to submit to the experience he had created for her.

His offer to her had been a test.

There was a part of him that had grown very fond of her and wanted her to stay, but he hadn’t been around

this long because he couldn’t tell when someone was plotting to betray him.

Like Izuna was doing now, not that he blamed her.

He had saved her, hidden her and covered her disappearance with a member of his team  _ she _ (accidentally, granted)

murdered. He had fed, trained, and protected her for a decade. Even forced the girl who hurt her to give her 

access to great power, and gave her a chance at retaliation for the wrong done to her.

Yet, regardless of his desire to be soft with her as a young girl and then as a woman, he had a reputation to 

uphold. He could only be so kind to her day to day without endangering them both, and he always made

sure to ask her to pay for his help in some way whether his heart was in it or not.

Not for the first time he found that regrettable, especially because it limited how intimate he could be with her now. 

Eyes were everywhere, and kissing her tenderly even with her unaware could get her killed if seen by the wrong person. 

The price of power was being alone.

When he had first seen her, so young and pregnant, he winced. It was a common practice to have children so early, 

especially in ninja clans when a member could be lost without a descendant if one let too much time go by, but

revolting all the same. There were better ways.

To his eyes, Izuna had just become ripe enough, an able and strong woman who inspired sexual desire rather than 

simple provision and protection.

_ Even better _ , he thought, _ she had no idea how beautiful she’d become, or that he had every intention of letting her go. _

Once she was implanted with his xenogenesis seeds, he would return her to Konoha to raise the child she would later

have in a village instead of on the run, and that was best. The child would return to him later on it's own.

Still…

He stroked her hair, twirling it in his fingers, before stopping himself and stifling a sigh.

So many had sworn their undying loyalty to him for so much less than he had given her, and though he wanted hers, 

he could not help but admire her for resisting him all this time.  Even the boy in her fantasy now had wanted to give

in, drawn to his power.

He opened the robe she wore, trailing his fingers along her heated skin, admiring her lithe and luscious body.

“So beautiful.”, he whispered, becoming hard at the sight of her near nakedness and feeling a drop of precum

just above his belly button. He brought her to arousal quickly with two fingers on her clit, a hand roving her 

body and kneading her breasts, wanting more but refraining.

She seemed nearly ready. He removed her underwear and  spread her legs, gazing lustfully at her glistening center.

He opened his own robe and stepped out of his undergarments, allowing his erection to jut proudly, then ran his

fingers along her slick opening. His dick twitched in anticipation.He hadn't wanted someone so badly in a long time,

but he restrained himself until she gave him a sign of submission and continued arousing her. 

Soon her breathing caught in her throat, her pale skin flushing, and a small whimper of pleasure came from 

her plush lips.  She had yielded.

It was time for him to join her in the illusion then, fully remind her how human she was.  But first....he wanted

to see himself penetrate her. He lined up his pale, rigid cock with her entrance and wrapped his other hand 

around her small waist to steady her. He focused on the sight as he slid the swollen head of his cock inside the

pretty Uchiha, hissing at the grip of her muscles around him and her dripping wetness for her imaginary lover 

as he pressed on.  Izuna gasped, a look of rapture on her lovely face.

In her mind, dark and lustful eyes lidded as the handsome Uchiha pushed fully inside her. She felt so stretched

and full, even wetter than she had been moments ago.Her hands flew over his skin and through his hair, hungry

to feel another this close after all this time. She marveled at his strength and build, the tension in his forearms

and his clenching abdominals making her bite her lip. It was a good dream, and as shameful as the situation was,

at least she was only complying and not  _ begging _ a man old enough to be her grandfather to fuck her like she

had seen so many others do with the Snake Sannin.

After he brought her to an earth shattering orgasm a third time, she hoped she never would.

 

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

  
  


Deidara made the long walk back to camp after the uncomfortable exchange with Izuna and his pet, watching

the sky lighten with the approaching dawn. Izuna had reminded him in many ways of his sister when he met her,

but became a dear friend afterwards.They got separated first as children, then as subjects of Orochimaru when he

was traded to the Akatsuki to spy on them. Having so few real friends left, losing one that was still alive was hard 

to bear, and he wanted her back. Orochimaru would never just let her go, and now he was going to get what he

wanted from her.

Nearing the camp now, he heard boisterous laughter and rolled his eyes.

That creepy old man must be visiting again. Deidara wasn’t completely sure if this guy was as great as everyone

said he was, but the three founders of Akatsuki seemed fond of him, especially Nagato. 

The Uchihas lived in Konoha and this guy was from there too.

Maybe if he said something, which he wasn’t sure he could refrain from now anyway, this guy might try to help Izuna?

 

It certainly felt better than doing nothing.

 

When he rounded a large tree they came into sight. Nagato’s lips were curved in a soft smile, Konan’s eyes were

alight with amusement, and Yahiko looked skeptical and annoyed,”Why do you think this boy is chosen for peace? 

He sounds like an idiot.”

“I’d like you to meet him.”,  Jiraiya replied, chuckling. “It’s easier to understand in person.”

The Toad Sannin turned to Deidara as he approached the group, eyes fixed on him, mirth fading too quickly.

“How are things with Orochimaru?”

“He’s busy torturing an Uchiha girl I know.”, the blonde bomber spat out.

The older man’s eyes narrowed,”How do you know that?”

“He’s trying to knock her up, Un.”, Deidara muttered, turning his face away.

Jiraiya stood,”Which Uchiha is there with him?”

Hope seemed to slap the Iwa nin across the face at the man’s concerned tone, the answer pouring out of his lips 

quickly,“Izuna-chan, a crazy ass pregnant Izumi, and the clan heir.”

Jiraiya eyes shot open wide. _ What business would Itachi have there? Wasn’t Izumi his fiance? Izuna sounded  _

_ familiar but .. _

“Forgive me,” the older man said as he gathered his things,”I must go now. I’ll bring the boy back with me.”

“Goodbye,  Jiraiya- sama”, was said with a nod.Yahiko shook his head at Deidara once the Sannin was gone.

“You shouldn’t have told him that! His involvement here could make things more difficult.”

“She needs help,Un!”, the blonde cried.

The Rinnegan bearer of the group nodded in sympathy, but was firm,“From what you’ve told me, she is strong.

I’m sorry, but you know we cannot begin a war with Sound prematurely for the dignity of one woman.”

 

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

 

Sasuke woke up a few hours later with a stray kitten, a skinny black one with big green eyes he often fed 

when they crossed paths, curled up next to him and purring loudly. He stroked the unfortunate creature,

gently waking it so he could get up. The one good thing about being clan heir, he thought, is that he would 

be around to bond with and actually care for a pet. Maybe even his child someday soon. Surely his brother 

would claim responsibility for the child to his parents like he had with Orochimaru, and until they were back

safely Sasuke would let him, but when they came back he would not let it stand.

He would face the music. 

He wondered if he could find a tolerable wife before Itachi returned that was willing to deal with this situation.

He blinked the sleep out of his eyes and shook his head. He’d be more likely to find a four leaf clover where he sat.

Still, he knew there was no way he could be with Sakura no matter what happened with his brother.

 

Things had gone too wrong, and Sakura had always been  _ so  _ confusing.

 

She and her friend Ino giggled about things he’d had to look up, and it put him on edge.

The pinkette had known of sexual things he’d never even heard of among his clan, certainly not from his

brother or father, and everyone else seemed to have some idea of them too.  Worried his ignorance might 

be exposed to Sakura if he asked someone again (he’d tried asking Naruto, he didn’t call him a blabbermouth

for nothing) because  _ everyone _ talked to her, his fear of incompetence and desire for perfection with the woman

he loved drove him to the Hokage’s office. After volunteering for seduction missions and reporting for training,

he was a bundle of nerves. He already regretted his decision waiting for his instructor, but had made the 

commitment, and had to see it through.

Didn’t he?

Realizing he would feel guilty for this the moment he saw Sakura again, that she would be heartbroken but

he should tell her, his mind ran through the thousand things he might be able to say to her.

He imagined, for the first time in all of this, her expression upon hearing of it. He never backed out of an

assignment, but hadn’t he made a commitment to her first? 

The desire to leave seized him and he stood.

Then, a lovely woman about ten years his senior had come in, talking softly to him and being so understanding,

seeing the conflict in his body language. He was ashamed at how easily she had made him cum in her hand, that

he had gotten the pleasure from someone else, but she strangely soothed him.

”You are learning this to gain the trust of and eliminate your targets at their most vulnerable, Uchiha-san.

No woman you have sex with on missions can survive in case of pregnancy, for the village and your clan.

It’s like handling a different type of weapon, strictly for information retrieval and assassination.

Pay attention and find a way to make me vulnerable to you.”

Three sessions that night and he _ was _ feeling more confident, and decidedly less guilty.

His teacher had been enthusiastic by the end and having few complaints. With a little more experience, he

was certain he could make Sakura melt for years to come, have skills his brother (who’s clearly subconscious

lingering glances at her hadn’t escaped his notice) would not have.

He scrubbed himself nearly raw in the shower - twice - before he saw Sakura the next day.

A part of him expected her to know somehow and recoil from his usual affections, but she completely 

floored him with her behavior.He had no idea how to feel about it, other than profoundly confused, and maybe

a little (alot) paranoid.

When they had met for a picnic at the training grounds, when he saw her pretty face with cherry glossed lips

and her innocent demeanor, his heart panged heavily with guilt.She had wanted them to be with each other

first and only, he agreed, and then he had stolen that from her. No sweetness from him could erase it, but he

gave it anyway, finding himself too frightened to lose her to admit what he’d done but wanting to make it up to her.

He’d said something he thought was fairly obvious to her about her beauty.

Suddenly she was in his lap, kissing him. He wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her back, surprised 

but grateful and still feeling like a jerk, when she turned more and wrapped her legs around him, slipping her

hand in his hair and her tongue into his mouth.

If he wasn’t completely spent from the night before, her actions would have gotten her as far as she wanted.

_ Did she know? Did she suspect? _

Terrified he would be caught or at least deeply resented if he didn’t respond in kind and wondering frantically

why this was happening  _ now _ , he groaned into the kiss, moving his other hand to her back to push her closer.

She reached back to take his hand away, only to bring it to one of her lovely little mounds, encouraging him

to squeeze it. A moan of pleasure left her lips when he complied, her nipple poking the center of his hand 

through her bindings and little dress. 

His mind reeled.

_ What the fuck? After several months of respectably dating Sakura, one night losing my virginity to someone else _

_ and she was pushing ahead to second base the very next day? Dammit!  _ _ Any other time and I would.. _

Sakura pulled forward and whispered hotly in his ear before nipping his lobe.

“Take me Sasuke-kun. Right now.” 

Sasuke blinked in disbelief, threw her off his lap and ran home, worried it was a trap. 

He’d seen her be enticingly sweet twice, directly before landing a killing blow whose aftermath had made him

slightly queasy when he glanced at it.He cursed himself for not just fulfilling her request the next day, cringing

inwardly at her overall dejection in his presence for a good, long while afterwards. He had to work hard to

convince her he found her desirable after his escape. Instead of telling her the truth, he told her he was

devoted to waiting for marriage and had left to control himself before he couldn’t, a lie that spectacularly

blew up in his face much worse than just wanting her badly, knowing she wanted him, and having to stick to his story. 

Until she saw his mission scroll. 

Living with the shame of it all at a distance was bad enough. As her husband, by default?

Swinging from a tree with a rope necklace sounded better. A lot better.

The situation with Itachi was just as hopeless. How could he face his brother if he was forced to marry Sakura?

Saying he was sorry for what he did with Izumi would just be insulting if he took Sakura as well. 

Maybe there was a way out? Who could he ask about these things? 

Certainly not Shisui, who would love nothing more than for him to fail, and certainly not his father. 

Naruto had good intentions but could bring disaster to this situation and their friendship. 

Itachi was gone, and that left only one other person that might give him solid advice about a situation like this.

The only powerful outsider close to his brother,Sakura, and the clan he was likely to be responsible for 

representing until his brother returned.

Sasuke smirked to himself as he headed for Hokage tower. 

Kakashi might loathe him, but he was an expert on unwanted power and responsibility.

  
  
  



	23. New Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sakura and Itachi try to adjust to their new situation and ponder it, Karin meets Itachi, Orochimaru lets Izuna go, life grows in a cell.

Sakura woke up clutching her lover’s pillow, aching.

She wanted to lay here and cry, curl up and scream that it wasn’t fair.

The old her was always there it seemed, whining for her to feed it and let it become her whole self again.

She shook her head. No way. She was starving that bitch right out of existence.

Today, and every day she had the strength to, she would nurture the strong woman she had become.

It was too easy to sit here and wallow in her grief. Time to shrug it off for now.

She was going stir crazy here, couldn’t take all the waiting and wondering.

If she was gonna get through this, she would need to keep on her feet.

Sakura stood and stretched, deciding on breakfast and some good old forest destruction to keep her head on straight.

It had taken a lot of convincing to get Shisui to give her a seal to transport herself here.

Never had she seen the normally jovial Uchiha so upset, and though she was glad Itachi had a good friend in

his corner, she worried about how little Shisui liked Sasuke. It was Shisui’s job to look after the clan heir, after all.

_At least the older Uchiha actually tried to get along with her._

It wasn’t hard to see how things would work out from here. She could tell that Itachi was frightened of losing

her to Sasuke, but she was given over to him just the same, and if not for the situation that prompted it she

would be furious at the temporary discard.

It still pissed her off, but she would make the best of it for now.

The pinkette realized Itachi did the very best thing he could for the village and his family, including her.

She hated that he was right, but he was, and she was past lying to herself about that to justify her anger.

She was likely the future wife of the soon to be _new_ clan heir Uchiha Sasuke, at least until she didn’t produce

an heir with him and was let go.Her heart swelled again with love that Itachi had seen fit to share about his

family and their ways. Both Shisui and Sasuke assumed he hadn’t, and neither had the courage to make the

situation she was in known to her so far. Sasuke had always held her at arm’s length and acted on his own, which

was ultimately why she could never be with him in the past, now, or ever. She was curious how he would break this

to her, or if he would attempt to deceive her about it. When they were younger she would have blown up at him for

not telling her right away. Being older and wiser now, and having a long stretch of time when he was also tied to her,

she could take her time torturing him for this.

Vengeance was a sure thing.

She dressed, splashed some water on her face, ate, and headed out to a group of trees she spotted on a hill

about a mile away.She got four steps out of the yard before a large crow approached, landing on a branch right

in front of her and squawking loudly.

She halted, tilting her head at it in curiosity.”What is it? I was on my way to train.”, she explained.

Suddenly, the bird flapped it’s wings and flew over her head, but not before plucking a few pink hairs off it.

“Hey!”, she cried, clutching her scalp,”What was that for?” The bird settled with it’s prize near the kitchen window,

gave her another obstinate squawk, and began weaving her hairs into it’s nest.

She balled her fist and was ready to give the damn bird a piece of her mind when she thought better of it.

The nest in front of the window would not escape Itachi’s notice, and she doubted he would miss her pink strands

within it. After Shisui had gone she explored the house on her own, snooping a bit. Some of her sadness fled

at all the things here that reminded her of Itachi’s presence. Maybe she could do him the same favor if he came

here while she was gone.

Smiling to herself at the thought, she ran towards the grove she was going to level this morning.

She would wait here till dusk, then return to Konoha.

 

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

 

Orochimaru stood over the medical bed, watching Izuna sleep peacefully.

_The easiest way to show a woman you don’t care for her is to abandon her the morning after._

_She doesn’t feel the same way. It wouldn’t hurt her like….this._

He never allowed her to wake after he took her.

His voluntary genjutsu was supplemented with a venom that caused sleep once he realized how ruined things were.

At first, he told himself it was to be sure his seed had taken hold so she couldn’t interfere, but he knew better.

He couldn’t face her now, didn’t want to see how she would look at him.

Nor did he want to think about why that could be so unpleasant.

He had started off just as he’d meant to, but quickly lost control, doing and saying things he should not have.

When his mind cleared, he realized not only what he’d done, but that they were indeed being watched.

He had marked her, whispered to her, left bruises on her hips. He still hadn’t had a wink of sleep since.

He would keep watch until she was behind Konoha’s gates, and the sooner the better.

She had friends here that might undo what he’d done before she left, stop his implantation.

He left two white snakes in the room to guard her, then turned to Kabuto.

“I’ll be in the barracks selecting some of our failed experiments.”

A crowd should get the Leaf’s attention, bring them to her to bring her home.

The silver haired medic rose his brows in question,“What for Orochimaru-sama?”

“Prisoner exchange.”, the older man replied.

Another voice in the room popped up,“Who’s coming?”

“We already have Uchiha Izumi.”, Orochimaru said to the redhead.

“Is Izuna-san leaving? Can I say goodbye?”, inquired Karin.

The Snake Sannin narrowed his eyes at her, and the medic internally flinched.

She knew she was pushing it, but Deidara would have a hard time forgiving her if she let the chance slip by to

know what was going on. Her benefactor didn’t answer her question,“You may go Karin.I’ll meet you there.”

Once she was gone, Orochimaru opened Izuna’s gown, face remaining a mask of indifference at the sight.

”Heal her, Kabuto.Prepare her to leave by nightfall.”

With that, he turned and left, headed to the bowels of the base for some sacrificial lambs.

_Goodbye my dear. I will spill blood for you just once more._

He was eternal, and everyone else went away eventually. Best to leave it be.

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Itachi wandered about the compound, bemused at why Orochimaru would allow him such freedom.

The only conclusions he could come to were that the Sannin truly considered him a negligible threat, which

seemed well beneath him to assume, or that they wouldn’t be here much longer.

Regardless, by lunchtime he had hours of layout information logged away.

A red head walked past him in a lab coat, bearing all the distinctive features in chakra and appearance of an

Uzumaki, seeming harried and upset.He’d never seen this one before, and he wondered where she came from,

and how near to the Sannin she was. This woman held much power, not a low level soldier.

He struck up a conversation, asked her about her rank in the most inconspicuous way he could come up with.

”Forgive me medic-san, but I would like to speak to Orochimaru. It is urgent.”

Karin stopped and looked up from the ground she’d been staring at in deep thought as she walked.

Normally, she would just tell him to fuck off, but he sounded so polite and....her eyes found his face.

_He was unbelievably hot!_

He smirked at her, waiting for her reply, and she did her best to cover her resulting blush.

She needed to see Deidara again, _before_ she got herself into trouble.

“It’ll be a few hours. He just left the med ward and has business in the barracks.”

“Are we being attacked?”, Itachi asked, tilting his chin toward her and leaning a bit closer into her personal space.

He wasn’t interested, of course, but he could admit it was fun teasing the Uzumaki.His father was right again.

They were hot blooded creatures, and terrible liars.

Karin averted her eyes at his intense black stare, her stomach swirling with a wisp of heat at all the attention from this beautiful male.

_What’s wrong with me? This is a crisis! Escape! ,_ she chided herself.

“No.”, she said, worrying her bottom lip.”Just escorting a ….prisoner….. to Leaf. Excuse me.”

Itachi stifled a chuckle as she ran away, wanting too much to make Sakura blush like that right now. He wouldn’t let _her_ evade him.

He would chase his lovely and supple wife down, pin her, lick her everywhere, watch her eyes roll back when he…

Itachi tried to put the brakes on that train of thought. _Not now._

Having only a few days to explore her was so unfair, to both of them.

So Orochimaru was leading a prisoner away? To Konoha?

The woman had been flustered with him but also upset about something, seeming in a rush.

The way she said the word prisoner sounded as if she didn’t agree with the title.

His clan was important, but the safety of his village superseded that.

The Snake Sannin might be delivering destruction to their home in the form of a hostage.

The crows guarding the hideaway had not reported Sakura leaving yet, and she was in a position to intervene

between here and Konoha. Orochimaru would be busy for a while planning the escort mission, apparently deciding

to choose the members of the party himself.

He went to his room, conjured his most high functioning clone few people here could see through, one with

a seal to call him back at the first sign of trouble.

This was too important to leave to a clone that could be dispelled with a kunai.

Of course, there was a good chance _she_ was there, and if she was, he would make each second count.

Sadly, he would need to make this visit fast.

He shook his head at himself as he made the signs. He really was going mad.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Breathing out a more contented sigh at the sight of the splintered tree trunks and craters around her, Sakura

cooled off and came back to her new sanctuary. Having some time here, especially when it wasn’t idle, away from

the bustle of her everyday life had cleared her mind.

She had a good idea how to handle this situation now. Whether he liked it or not, Itachi wouldn’t be leaving her behind

to deal with this mess alone. She promised him to be on his side, and she would be, but not just sitting around

worrying while he sacrificed himself for everyone.

Ironic that he always accused _her_ of that, running in and pouring herself out for everyone else.

This time, she would let him know he was important too.She looked around, wondering what could she leave here for him.

Shisui had only brought her the essentials, she didn’t have anything personal to leave here. Maybe next time then?

_Yeah right_ , she thought. _Who was she kidding?_ Sakura’s gifts and thoughtfulness didn’t normally veer to the frivolous

side like her friend Ino.  _Even Sai is a more sentimental gift giver than me_ , she thought with a frown.

Then it came to her: Katsuyu. Itachi could take a piece of her summon with him so she didn’t go mad with worry.

If he got hurt and needed her, she could help him. She summoned a slug, instructed it, and wrote him a brief note.

She kept her eyes off the bed as she packed up to leave, trying not to think of his heat and how she longed for him

again so soon, how beautiful he was when he was drowning in her. Ready to go now, she took one last look

behind her, wishing he was here...

She turned back, the doorknob in her hand, and heard a poof in the bedroom. She stood completely still, until

she heard a rustling of fabric and the voice she’d been waiting for,“Sakura?”

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Izuna woke up in chakra cuffs, Kabuto’s face not quite coming into view.

“Your purpose is served here.”, he said, all too cheery for the situation she found herself in,”Off to your new life!”

Disoriented, she simply stared at him until he nodded at someone and said,”Once we’re done here, take her away.”

“Where?”, she choked out.

“Where you’re wanted.”, Kabuto returned, relishing her expression at his words before he grabbed her face, forcing it open.

Then something was wriggling down her throat. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t see anything anymore.

The very next time she opened her eyes, the boy in her dream was there again, his warm hand holding her wrist

and asking her if she could run, telling her they needed to leave.

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

In a lonely, isolated cell where it’s inhabitant wanted nothing but pain and death to pay for love lost, a flutter

was felt in her abdomen. Then another. The shadows coalesced in the corner, a voice rasping from it’s wicked smile.

”See? I told you that you wouldn’t be alone forever.”

Even without her eyes, a tear fell.


	24. Report

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Itachi enjoys his wife's presence before delivering difficult news for the pair. Sasuke's attempt at getting support ends in threats, seeming betrayal, and a mission.

Sakura silently stepped toward the bedroom, peering around the corner.

There he stood, smirking gorgeously at her. “I’m pleased to see you.”

Itachi’s face registered clear disappointment when she threw her hand out in front of her and said,”Stay

right there!” before running out of sight. A moment later she came back with a little slug in her hand.

His eyes sparkled with affection. _Of course that would be the first thing on her mind._

He strode forward and regarded her summon, taking the hand holding it by the wrist and greeting the small

creature,”Forgive me Katsuyu-san, but I’d like a moment alone with my wife.”

The little slug nodded,”Yes, Uchiha-san.Sakura-san?”

Sakura’s pink brows furrowed, but honored his request for privacy.

“Go ahead.”, she told her summon,”I’ll see you soon.”

It poofed away, and Sakura felt Itachi’s hands slide around her to pull her to him.

It was truly him, not a clone. She sank into his warmth and breathed him in, a giddiness coming to settle in

her at having him near once more, her lips pulling into a smile.

Itachi prized her intelligence, but it left her open to more hurt and worry than necessary.

Once he told her what he knew, she would know what it would mean if they failed, and she might be too afraid

to bond with him in a physical way.He wanted the time they had to be joyous. No matter what happened in the

end, he would squeeze every drop of happiness for their time together whenever he could.

Life could be too unkind not to.

“I don’t have much time.,” he said,nuzzling her hair.”A medic there told me soldiers were gathering to march

a prisoner to Konoha. Do you have any information for me?”

She wrapped her arms around his neck, tilted her head up to look in his eyes, gave him a light kiss.

“Yes. Sasuke told me something you need to know.”

He moved her pink locks from her slender neck, bending to grace it with soft  kisses.

“What is it?”, he asked, nibbling her ear and running his hands along her sides.

Sakura’s brain started to sputter, all too focused on his warm, muscled body and affections.

“Itachi?”, she asked, as he backed her up against the nearest wall and pressed himself against her petite frame.

His kisses moved back up to her mouth and he plundered it in answer.

”You talk. I’ll listen.”, he murmured once he drew his lips from hers, raining new kisses on her collarbone and

unzipping her shirt.”How am I going to do that?!”,Sakura asked incredulously, speaking through pleasured breaths

as she struggled to resist him.In her office he had washed over her like a tidal wave, when she had needed him that

first night he was like a man possessed. There was no way she could form coherent sentences while they were making love.

He _had_ to know that.

“I have few moments and our time is precious.”, he reasoned, as if this was the only choice that made sense under the

circumstances.

Sakura heaved another breath and tried once more,“I can’t talk like this Itachi.What if..”

Itachi cut her off,“Katsuyu will tell me whatever you cannot.I may not be able to see you for a long time after

this, Sakura.” His dark and cautiously hopeful eyes at her were killing her right now.

_Give in,Sakura. Please._

The pinkette nodded, pressing her body into his as well, acquiescing at last.

“Will you always let me have you like this Sa-ku-ra?”, he could not help but ask, breathing it into her ear and

making her tingle.That she might not had been a plaguing thought, one that haunted him even as he tried to

push it away. Her green eyes shone, the same fear and desperation within himself there.

”As long as you want me.”, she replied.

He husked,”Always.”, as his hands went down to her pert ass to lift and grind her into him, giving her a deep kiss

that took her breath away. A clenching heat seized her stomach, making a needy moan escape her lips, her limbs

happily giving up their strength under his assault. He pulled back, enthralled with her dazed expression.

Her response to him was begging him to lose himself in her strong, sweet softness.

She was quite the blushing beauty right now, and he knew that any other woman would never make him feel like this.

He belonged to her, come what may.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kakashi truly had the worst babysitting job in the world. All Tenzo did lately was whine, drink, and rant about

the Uchiha. It was only slightly better than if he had been caring for Guy round the clock.

He hadn’t called for Sasuke’s report because, well, he had someone desperate to murder him attached at the hip.

When Kakashi sensed Sasuke approaching, he looked over to the chair next to him. His old friend looked like he

was about to blow a vein and was working himself up to a fit as he also felt the young man approach.

He let out an exhausted sigh, _Here we go._

Sasuke arrived at the Hokage’s office, killing intent from inside growing with his every step towards the doors.

On guard, he activated his sharingan and knocked on the door.

“No Tenzo!”, he heard Kakashi bellow as something crashed into the door, possibly a chair.

Sasuke wondered what was going on. Yamato's  _pretty pissed off. I’ve never done anything to him. What’s his problem?_

He took two steps back as the door continued to be assaulted and vines crept through the keyholes.

Then Yamato burst through the doors, launching himself at Sasuke, who deftly moved out of his trajectory.

The wood user recovered quickly, turning on him with shaking anger,”You!”

He made the mistake of looking the Uchiha in the eye and slumped to the ground.

Sasuke calmly approached the unconscious shinobi and sniffed the air.

”Too much drink?”, he asked Kakashi,who stood in the doorway regarding Tenzo with exasperated irritation.

Now the Sixth was certain Sasuke had no idea why Tenzo was angry.

“Just mad you don’t outrank him,” Kakashi said, giving the Uchiha a pointed look.

It took a moment, but Sasuke caught on, shaking his head,“I don’t want to fight him.”

“What the hell happened here?”, Shikamaru asked, arriving from down the hall to see what all the racket was about.

He glanced at Tenzo, collapsed on the ground. ”Did he finally pass out again?”, the Nara asked.

Kakashi folded his arms over his chest, reclining against the doorframe, meeting Shikamaru’s eyes and tilting

his head in Sasuke’s direction.”Hardly.” Shikamaru scowled at the Sharingan user.

“Am I in trouble for that?”, Sasuke asked, wanting Shikamaru to stop looking at him like that and not wanting

his personal business aired in the hallway.

Kakashi shrugged,”Not really. Thanks for the break”

Sasuke nodded,“Hn.”

“Uh, Shikamaru, could you take Yamato home?”

Shikamaru shook his head at Kakashi’s request, muttered something about drunks being troublesome, and slumped

off with his cargo to the unconscious man’s home.

Once inside the office, Sasuke assured the Sixth,”It was a pleasant genjutsu.”

“Good to know.”, Kakashi acknowledged, then cleared his throat again before speaking.

“Your report is overdue, and don’t bother telling me the lies Sakura came in here with, either. I need to know

_exactly_ what happened.”

Sasuke watched the Copy nin’s face as he spoke the events following his return.

Then studied the floor as he asked for advice regarding his family woes, as succinctly as possible.

Kakashi wanted Sakura to be happy and he knew she might never tell anyone about her mission until she couldn’t

bear to keep it to herself, which might be much too late to take advantage of the opportunity he’d given her to get

out of this whole mess. It was her decision to stay or go but maybe pushing the issue now, before they could bond

more than they had, would hurt less in the end.

This conversation gave him the perfect opportunity. If the Uchiha were pissed about it, maybe they would specify

how they wanted it to be handled a little better. He would not tolerate Sakura being forced into misery.

Not for a moment more than was good for her.

He assumed a relaxed posture and dropped the baited hook for Sasuke,“Well, according to everything you’ve told me,

Sakura’s part in this can be over now.You don’t have to worry about her.”

The Uchiha’s brows rose,“How’s that?”

“The reason is privileged, Sasuke. It will have to stay in this room.”

”Hn.”, the young man acknowledged.

“I have your word not to say?”, The Sixth pressed.

Sasuke supressed the urge to roll his eyes and scoff. It’s not like he couldn’t keep his damn mouth shut, unlike

a certain blonde he knew. Maybe Sakura was pregnant already? Perhaps someone already knew the truth and he

would be shamed while Itachi was exonerated, making most of this nightmare over?

His sharp mind struck on every possible way that could be true, answering,“Ah.”

“It was her _mission_ to marry your brother, to get information on your and Yamato’s relationship to Izumi and the

child’s parentage.”

Except that one. There was just no way.

Dumbstruck, Sasuke listened as the Copy nin went on.“She was having a hard time going through with it. I’m sure

your meddling actually helped this time.”, Kakashi said, leaning back again and kicking his feet up on the desk,

keeping his tone light.”She was completely inexperienced, of course.Sakura pulled it off anyway. She’s a dedicated

shinobi.”, he finished proudly.

Sasuke swallowed, trying to keep his bearings, a long silence stretching before he spoke again.

“My brother cares for her. How could she....”

Grey eyes pinned black ones grimly,“Same way you have, Sasuke-kun. Surely you understand.”

Just when The Uchiha was sure he had reached the heights of self loathing, low and behold there were a few more

rungs on the ladder. His knuckles were white. He wanted to leave, to just run and chidori something or someone.

It was all his fault,and now she was like _him_ ?  With _his_ family? If only he’d never been born...

“Talking about this is treason.”, Kakashi reminded.”Just between us, ne? I hope you feel better about all of this now.

Glad I could actually lighten your burden for once.”, The Sixth mused.

Incensed that his brother’s good heart had been used, that he was being used for entertainment now, was too much.

The Kami’s felt like kicking him around, and he likely had it coming before.

As of now he’d absolutely had enough.

Sasuke stood suddenly, chair skidding across the floor loudly, sharingan glowing bright.

A hunter-nin appeared before he could act, startling both men in the tension filled room.

“Hokage-sama, pardon the interruption, but a group of Sound shinobi are marching towards Konoha.”

Kakashi blinked, then was all business,“How close are they? How many?”

“Just under a half day’s travel , maybe two dozen genin and chunin level.”

Kakashi nodded to Sasuke, his eyes saying it was the end of their previous talk.

“Grab your team and Anbu team Tsu. Get moving.”

Sasuke spoke through clenched teeth,“This conversation isn’t over.”

Kakashi gave him a glare that would send lesser men running.

“Yes it is. If you want to talk, talk to Sakura.”

Sasuke turned and marched out of the room. He would _certainly_ be talking to her about this.

“I will.”, he growled lowly, knowing perfectly well Kakashi could hear him.

The Sixth watched him go, feeling only the slightest twinge of guilt.

The revelation had stung the Uchiha, but maybe he could climb over it to be a good friend.

_She covered for you when it hurt, you little shit. You better do the same for her.._

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Watching Sakura snuggle into his chest after they made love had Itachi’s heart singing.

Now that their passion was spent, his pink haired firecracker would figure out that he had held  information

back to gain her compliance, likely because it was very bad news. Her eyes looked distant, darting back and forth in

contemplation. He pulled away to stand, out of range, and retrieved a glass of water.

_Any minute now_ , he thought.

A look of comprehension crossed Sakura’s face and she sat straight up in the bed.

“You tricked me!”

His back stiffened, only slightly, as he downed the cup of water.

”Of course not.”, he said, unable to keep the smirk out of his voice.

“Itachi! You’re unbelievable!”

He turned to face her, put the glass down and playfully threw a pillow at her, which she caught.

Happy her hands were occupied enough to distract her once more before she curled them into fists and chased him for

manipulating her, he said,”Orochimaru says he has an Uchiha woman thought to be dead, one that he intends to

impregnate.He’s taken Izumi’s eyes for the resulting child.”

As she absorbed this information, her eyes showing her focus drawing inward, he reminded himself the full story

would be as unpleasant for her as it had been for him to realize.

Oh, but he loved turning her around, making her lose focus.Hopefully she would understand why he had found it

necessary, forgive him for wrapping himself around her the moment he could.

“Makes sense.”, Sakura replied. “Sasuke said there was an Uchiha woman there who shielded his mind from Orochimaru

during his white snake possession. It must be her.”

“Then she might be an ally if she protected our intel.”, Itachi offered.

“Perhaps.”, Sakura mused. Tilting her head cutely with her inquisitive green eyes trained on him, she asked the question

he knew he had to answer for her, the one he didn’t want her to ask. The one he knew she would because Uchiha can’t

exchange eyes with just anyone.

”Who is she to Izumi? Did you recognize her?”

He took a breath, his voice steady as he could make it,“She is Izumi’s older sister, Izuna.”

He saw the worried look on Sakura’s face and knew well what it was for.

Any child Izuna had bred in captivity would not be held against her, _if_ she chose to have it.

If he was considered married to Izumi,and her infant didn’t survive, Izuna would become Itachi’s wife as well.

Unless Sakura gave him a child, which as of now was impossible.

Or Sasuke’s actions were revealed, and he gave this woman his child instead.

Tears began to gather in Sakura’s eyes, her stomach felt as if it dropped through the floor.

Itachi’s brow creased and he came to comfort her, his hand gently cupping her face, his black eyes soft with concern.

”I will do my best to keep the child safe, come home to you.”

A tear tracked down his wife’s cheek,”Lot’s of things can happen to babies, Itachi. Especially in a place like that.”

Itachi came to wrap his arms around her, letting her rest her head on his shoulder.

“I will endure much to remain yours and only yours,Sakura.”

He brought her face to meet his eyes,”I have very important instructions for you with Sasuke. Will you consider them?”

She sighed heavily, having a good idea what they were, but nodded and said, “Tell me.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear the heavy angst will have a silver lining!


	25. Greetings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Anbu team meets Sound while Orochimaru leaves his host, Sakura and Itachi decide to intercept Karin.

Orochimaru, for once, was glad that he could not breach Izuna’s inner mind. He half expected her to unbind

her consciousness simply to torture him.She didn’t, and his gratitude for that had kept him from further

thoughts of why. He refused to do anything with her body- his current host- than walk, breathe, and look

over the poor souls marching with him to their death. It was a shame really. There had been such potential with

some of these subjects, but his knowledge and skill, even after all these years, was lacking in making them the

best they could be.These dead ends would be cleaned up for him by the Leaf, were not fit to take to the new

base and care for with the supplies they had, and would inflame the rest of his soldiers against Konoha further.

He wouldn’t even need to bury them and could blame it on someone else, but it wouldn’t do to resort to this again

until the next generation, lest someone catch on other than Kabuto or Karin

Both had already done much worse for him..

The hunter nin had seen them and had fled back hours ago. It shouldn’t be much longer and he could slither

away to his previous body.He stayed at the back of the crowd, watching.

* * *

* * *

The trees flew past as they leaped from branch to branch.

“Looking tired there, Sasuke- _chan_. Being a good boy?”

There were too many other things on Sasuke’s mind to actually be upset at Shisui’s teasing.

Despite his lack of rest,the nervous energy over the past few days was still buzzing through his system.

The run had helped dispel some of that, but delivering an ass kicking was still high on his list of preferred activities

just now. He answered without justifying the question,“I’m ready for a fight.”

Shisui smirked, “That’s the spirit little cousin. I’m pulling ahead. Try to keep up.”

The young Uchiha watched his elder speed away from the already swift moving group.

He might actually get to enjoy a good fight, but after seeing the people of Sound on his perilous visit, he doubted it.

When this was over, he would love to burn that awful place to the ground.

The memories of Orochimaru’s mishappen torture victims flashed through his mind, many who implored him to

end their misery as he walked past with that silver haired medic on the way to his own cell.

When he arrived with the others, Sound charged them.

* * *

* * *

It didn’t take as long as Orochimaru thought.

Shunshin no Shisui had arrived, the other Uchiha boy and several other nin hot on his heels.

The snake sannin knelt Izuna’s body to the ground and wretched, releasing the white snake.

Her body slumped to the ground as his snake slithered away.

He couldn’t bear to look back, purposely focusing only on his escape.

The Sound troop marched on without her, just a little further.

* * *

* * *

There had been a lot of talking, nestled within her husband’s arms.

Now Itachi was cross legged on the floor, seeing through his link with Rangou.

He let out a soft grunt to let her know he had made contact and it was alright to ask questions now.

“Who is the prisoner?”, Sakura asked.

“Rangou has been following Sasuke, and he is on the way to intercept them.”

Sakura nodded,“We’ll know soon then. I imagine you left a clone?”

“Yes. It will summon my return if there is any trouble.”

“So the prisoner can’t be you.”, the pinkette deduced,”Who do you think it is?”

“Someone a medic close to Orochimaru seems to consider a friend. She seemed upset about the departure.

It’s likely not Izumi then. My guess is Izuna is being returned. Orochimaru insinuated a….. liaison with her last night.”

Sakura grimaced, wondering what sort of horror that turned out to be. Her heart went out to the woman, hoping

she received adequate care after such an ordeal. She had worked hard to train her staff on dealing with that

type of trauma. If she was truly headed to Konoha, she would have support.

She wondered what sort of medical attention Itachi had received at Sound.

“Why did you see the medic? Were you hurt?”

Itachi smirked despite himself, wondering what Sakura would’ve done at the sight of the redhead swooning.

Would she kiss him senseless again? He hoped so.

“I realized she was an Uzumaki, a skilled one, and I was curious to talk to her.”

Sakura frowned, crossing her arms,”Was she as loud and obnoxious as Naruto?”

Sakura _hated_ feeling jealous.What he said next made her feel a little better.

“She said very little to me before taking her leave.”

“Oh.”, she replied, doing her best to shrug it off,”So what now?”

“One of my crows is surveying the area. I will stay with you until I am called back.”

That wasn’t the worst idea, after all. He did have a failsafe in the clone.

Besides, what if he returned and found he could have had hours next to her he didn’t take?

“Does Izuna know about Sasuke’s part in this?”, Sakura asked.

Itachi watched Rangou circle widely over the forest through their link, finding the two groups of shinobi

converging. “If she does, I doubt she will tell.”, he answered.

His crow hovered closer to the fighting.The Sound nin were being devastated quickly.

His heart burst with pride at the grace of Sasuke’s movements on the field.

“None of our Anbu have gotten much more than a scratch.”, he said, hearing Sakura sigh in relief.

The robe clad body to the north of the battle looked very much like the Izuna he remembered.

He hoped Sasuke would contain whatever problems her presence in Konoha brought.

She would be cautious, most likely, but not silent forever.

The crow headed farther east then, flying higher and sighting an interesting straggler.

“The medic is headed away from the base….alone.”, Itachi said, catching her eyes with a silent question.

Sakura smiled sweetly, agreeing,”Let’s catch up to her.”

Itachi wondered what she was up to, but simply began to gather their things.

They packed together and started their walk.

* * *

* * *

It was, as he expected, far from the fight Sasuke had wanted.

The Sound shinobi fought feebly, all falling easily to the sword and the kunai.

Two of them ran, children really, barely old enough to shave.

Sasuke followed them at first, then just watched them go.

The pair ran past a figure in a purple hemmed white robe and long black hair, slumped over a rock 10 yards away.

Scanning the scene with his sharingan, he approached stealthily.The subject was clearly unconscious.

He took hold of it’s shoulder, turning the person over. Long lush hair, soft full lips, and long dark lashes made

him take a breath. Whoever this girl was, she was lovely, and vaguely familiar.

Her hands were tied, a prisoner that had been with the group from Sound then.

He removed her restraints as gently as possible, took her hand as she came around.

Her midnight eyes opened, seeming a little confused..

Sasuke’s tone was matter of fact,“Can you run? We need to leave here.”

 The others were leaving and they would be in a hurry to get home before nightfall.

The girl looked at where he grasped her wrist in horror, suddenly shivering.

Then into his eyes with something…...something strange in them.

“What is it?”, he asked, wishing she would just say whatever it was already.

Suddenly, she jerked her wrist away from him and bolted, headed for the group of victorious Anbu behind them.

_What the hell was that about?_

He growled in irritation, taking off after her,“Get back here!”

She turned her head to shout at him as she ran,“No!”

Sasuke blinked.He could have sworn he saw red in her eye just then.

Then it hit him. It was her, the girl who fed him in his cell, the one with the braids.

He shunshinned in front of her and she crashed into him at a full run, knocking her backwards into the dirt

from the impact while his chakra rooted him to the earth. Smugly smirking, he commented, “Not fast enough.”

Izuna frowned with a “Tch!”, and chanced a defiant glance up at him.

Sasuke considered her reaction to him and wondered if she had been punished because she helped him at Sound.

Maybe developing some good Karma would make life more bearable in general, so he took the opportunity to

do so now.He reached out a hand to help her up.

”I couldn’t thank you for helping me before, so... thank you.”, his deep voice soothed, the challenging tease a

moment ago absent in it.

She eyed his hand warily and refused to take it,”I’ll come, but…..don’t touch me.... _at all_.”

Sasuke’s expression sobered, nodding,”Alright.I didn’t mean to frighten you. Come on.”

Shisui’s voice, laced with wonder, sounded behind him,”Izuna-chan?”

The girl’s eyes widened as she turned, a look of relief on her face,”Shisui-kun?!”

He nodded and she ran to him, wrapping her arms around him and sobbing.

Sasuke immediately recognized the girl’s name, watched as Shisui stroked her hair and spoke softly to her,

saw her looking at his cousin with trust in her eyes. Shisui told her he thought she was dead all this time, and

Sasuke was sure then who she was. When Izuna first rejected his hand, asking him not to touch her _at all_ , he

assumed she had been violated in some way and traumatized.She had been friendly, even flirtatious with him at

Orochimaru’s base.Her demeanor in his presence changing so much without interacting with him again had

made his heart twinge for whatever she may have experienced.

Now, watching her drape herself over his cousin and casting some very resentful glances Sasuke's way,he figured

the change towards him could only mean one thing.

She knew his secret, had judged him for it, deemed him so horrible she wouldn’t even receive his help to stand.

Now she was headed to Konoha with the rest of the Uchiha, likely to his own mother.

Shisui picked her up bridal style and leaped into the trees.

He smiled reassuringly at her and said, “Let’s get you to Mikoto-san.”

_Fuck._


	26. Keeping Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Anbu return to Leaf. Itachi and Sakura confront Karin.Naruto loves spreading rumours, just like Sakura’s other blonde friend Ino, who gets assigned to Izuna at the interrogation unit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have left a lot of hints in this story that the sisters have differing genetics but the same mother. Sakura did say Izumi's child was an Uchiha and only an Uchiha.

Izuna snuck glances at the young Uchiha every once in a while, hoping his attention would be elsewhere.

Twice he had been glancing away from her. Once, he caught her gaze, and she averted hers, keeping her

eyes to herself the rest of the way. Facing him like that had been a shock, and she regretted responding

the way she had. It wasn’t actually him she had felt those things with, who’s regretful expression after

all the words of adoration and fevered sex had stung her.

She had been alone much too long. She understood it, but she was still filled with shame at her body’s

response to the illusion. There was an irrational terror within her that somehow the boy knew she had used

his image.He _had_ rebuffed her when they first met, and he would likely be offended at any further attention.

It was just so rare for her to be so attracted to someone so quickly.

She cringed at the thought of meeting his wife and children, wondered how to face them after what she had done.

She would be certain to make herself very scarce in the compound until she could forgive herself.

It was only a fantasy, one to get her through something that would have been unbearable otherwise, but

now Izuna wished she had just allowed herself to be repulsed.

She didn’t need to wonder why Orochimaru let her go now. His behavior within the dream made it very clear.

Deidara’s friends would come for him, and she wouldn’t stop them.

The Snake Sannin was indeed a monster.

However, she would never tell a soul what was revealed to her. She could give him that much.

* * *

* * *

Karin had decided to make a run for it, and now it was too late and too far to turn back.

When she heard the crow cawing, felt the chakra signature emanating from it, she _knew_ she was screwed.

She racked her brain, trying to think of a good excuse to be where she was.

They would eventually catch up to her,the lone ninja she spoke to earlier at base or the two running at her

from the south. She was being viewed from above.

One of them would catch her first, and it was time to pick her poison.

Leading people from Sound to the Akatsuki was also an option, but blowing her cover completely might

tip everything the wrong way if they escaped somehow.

The crow hovering before her was joined by many more,forming into a man.

The same one that had asked to speak to Orochimaru earlier.

The poison had picked her.

“The group to the east don’t look like Sound shinobi.”, he said, staring her down.

“Mind your own business!”, she screeched,”What do you know, anyways!”

The wind caressed the black silk of his hair, blowing it across his eyes, and he brushed it aside.

“There are two young shinobi running to intercept you.”,his eyes glowed red then, sharingan spinning,”and

I will leave you here on the ground for them if you don’t answer my questions.”

Karin squeezed her eyes shut. _Shit! Stall until you figure a way out!_

“You didn’t ask me any questions!”, Karin shouted.

Itachi’s eyebrow twitched in irritation, his question had been clearly implied.

”Who are the shinobi to the east, and why are you going to meet them?”

Karin hung her head to hide her expression, told a half truth,”I was meeting my boyfriend.”

The Uchiha raised a disbelieving brow, his voice teasing,” Is that all?”

 _Ok, so she’d checked him out, and she had a boyfriend._ _He didn’t need to be a jerk about it, try to make_

 _her feel guilty for looking._ _He was the one asking what else she was going to do after meeting Deidara._

She pointed an accusing finger at him, yelling,“Stop being so nosy, pervert!”

Suddenly, Karin felt a blinding pain in her head as she fell to the ground.

She heard a woman shout, _”_ Just as loud and obnoxious as Naruto!”

Then the dark took over her eyes.

Itachi sweatdropped, eyeing his furious wife, her chakra fully unmasked now.

”Sakura…”. He approached her tentatively, placing a hand on his wife’s shoulder, glancing at the

Uzumaki’s sprawled body. Sakura’s actions could make an approach to the group more difficult.

Itachi couldn’t find it within him to complain, though. He was asking _so much_ of her, and after everything,

she felt the need to defend his honor because he was _hers_. It filled him with warmth, foolish as it was.

Itachi watched the sunset highlight the pinkette’s frame and give a glow to her hair as Sakura bent down to

check over the medic, anger subsiding. The redhead groaned and staggered to her feet.

Itachi stepped forward to slip his hand into Sakura’s, holding back a self satisfied smirk at her widened eyes

from the telling gesture. Sakura held on but wondered why he was doing this. Clearly there was affection in it,

but they were in front of an enemy. What was he thinking?

Itachi turned his attention back to the medic,”Uzumaki-san, your pursuers are nearly upon us. If we dispatch

them for you, will you take us to meet your friends?”

 _Oh_., Sakura thought, _He's extending the olive branch first._

“I can take care of them myself.”, Karin retorted.

Itachi’s chakra, normally politely tucked around him and subdued, unfurled, cloying heavily in the clearing

and vibrating with danger. ”Then, I’ll save them the trouble.”, his smooth voice said, eyes glowing in the

dimming light of the evening. Sakura let go of his hand, hearing the leather in her gloves creak as she flexed

her hands and balled her fists. Karin blanched,”What’s the plan?”

* * *

* * *

As the sun slid downward, Sasuke fled toward his impending doom with as much grace as he could muster.

Fugaku stood waiting at the gates, and he had taken point. Before he got out a greeting his father asked,

”Where’s Itachi?” Sasuke shook his head, knowing lying now would get him nowhere,”Not with us.”

He watched his father’s eyes widen, an unusual sight indeed, as the rest of the Anbu and the returning

Uchiha woman landed. Fugaku silently looked her over, sharingan activated.

“Take her to Ibiki.”, the clan head ordered,”If she clears, take her to my wife. Summon Uchiha Izumi to meet

us there.” Izuna felt her dear friend flinch next to her. Shisui must have known Izumi couldn't be summoned

somehow when Fugaku didn’t. They needed to talk. Soon.

She bowed low,“Fugaku-sama, I could not bear to impose.”

Fugaku narrowed his eyes at her, upset that she had, though politely enough, rejected his family’s hospitality.

“Only for a while, and I insist, Izuna-san. Once everything has been settled, you can stay with Izumi-san.”

Sasuke tensed again as he saw Izuna’s lips part to speak. She was going to let him have it, right in front of

the gates and both teams,his own father and even...he looked over to Neji, standing regally to his right.

_Of course he would be here, too._

“Yes, Fugaku-sama. Thank you.”

Sasuke schooled his expression at the unexpected, but probably temporary, mercy.

_She didn’t tell. But why?_

“I’ll take her there, Uncle.”, Shisui proposed, earning a nod of approval from Fugaku.

Fugaku turned on his heel, headed back to the police station, saying as he walked away,”Make sure you’re

home for dinner tomorrow, Sasuke. We have much to discuss.”

Shisui walked a few steps away from the gates, then embraced Izuna once the clan head turned a corner.

As he pulled back just enough, he briefly flashed a message from his eyes to hers.

_Lock them out of anything to do with Itachi and Sasuke, Izuna-chan._

_Sasuke?,_ she asked.

_Itachi’s little brother, the one you helped and the one that found you. Nothing about either of them being_

_in Sound, OK?_

Izuna broke their link to glance over Shisui’s shoulder, eyes meeting Sasuke’s again.

So it was him.He had tried to get rid of Izumi too. _That’s_ why he was in Sound.

Brave as he seemed, there was fear in his eyes, and she understood why.

She nodded at Sasuke in what she hoped was reassurance.

She didn’t blame him. It had been long promised that her sister would be brought to her.

It wasn’t his fault, as it would’ve happened anyway without him.

One more reason to be ashamed.

Her eyes met her friend’s again, but she spoke aloud.

“I’ll do what I can, Shisui-kun.”, she promised.

* * *

* * *

Naruto sat at Ichiraku with Ino and Sai. He couldn’t believe his ears.

“Let me get this straight. You saw Itachi kissing Sakura-chan before all this?”

“I swear I saw it!”Ino insisted. Naruto shook his head in disbelief,”No way, Ino.This is another one of your

tall tales. Besides, Sakura-chan would have told me that.”

“I have heard this story many times, dickless.”, Sai supplied.

The blonde girl nodded,“And she _couldn’t_ have told you. She was dying. She still doesn’t know.”

“How come you never told Sakura?”, The blonde boy asked.

“I wasn’t sure what she would do if I told her, and once I was…”, Ino trailed off.

“She was worried that Ugly would stop spending time with Itachi-san because she’s a coward about these

things. It made telling her complicated.”, Sai explained.

Ino smiled at her boyfriend then, grateful he finished her thought for her.

“Oh.”, Naruto mumbled, stirring and gazing into his ramen.Sakura _did_ overthink things like this alot.

Still, he wished he would have known. It would have saved him so much worry as he watched his pink haired

friend fall in love again, even if he had kept it to himself.

Of course it was with the one person (besides him - and _maybe_ Neji) that Sasuke was actually jealous of

and might be most upset over.Naruto knew he loved Sakura even now, but wanted to let her go to be happy.

It was tough being in the middle, and it didn’t look like it would be getting any better in the near future.

“I was hoping it gave me a shot with Sasuke too, at the time,” Ino went on,”but then I found out there were

problems between our clans.” She shrugged,”It never would’ve happened anyway.”

Naruto didn’t bother telling her that never in a million years would Sasuke have her.

Some things, true as they may be, just weren’t nice to say.

Especially since it made Sai squirm a little to wonder about it.

Sakura would really need to know something like this when she got sad about Itachi leaving her behind.

He loved making her feel better.“Can I tell her?”, he asked.

“No way!,” Ino retorted, jabbing a finger at his chest,”I’ve been waiting for this too long Naruto! You better

not screw it up!” He grinned and held his hands up in surrender. “Ok, Ino. I promise I won’t tell Sakura-chan.”

 _Doesn’t mean I won’t tell anyone else though_ , he thought, picking up his bowl to drink the broth.

Satisfied, Ino leaned into Sai, giving him a goodbye kiss. “I’m off to work now. See you at home.”

“Goodbye, beautiful.”, Sai said.

When Ino arrived at T and I, Ibiki met her at the door.

”You’ve been doing pretty good, young lady. Thought you might want a challenge.”

Ino smirked,”I do. Who do you have for me this time?”

“Uchiha Izuna.”

 _No fucking way._ ”She's alive?”

“Waiting in room three, actually.”

“Why me?”, Ino complained.”Fugaku will make my life miserable if he knows.”

Ibiki gave her a rather frightening scowl of disapproval, “Because your clan's bloodline ability is probably

stronger in you than her. I don't want to risk many other methods. She's been with Orochimaru for years.

Kami only knows what types of traps he's set in her head. Be careful, Yamanaka.”

She nodded,”I will.”

Ibiki handed her a report request,“Report directly to the Hokage afterwards.”

“Hai.”

* * *

* * *

Izuna put a pleasant face on when her interrogator arrived.

The busty blonde sat across from her at a grey table with a folder of papers, a tablet for writing and a sharp

pencil. “I’m Ino Yamanaka.”, she said,”I know you’ve had a long journey and you probably want a hot shower

and some rest, but we need to go over some things first.”

Izuna nodded, aware that the girl was attempting to read her every movement and expression.

“Before we get into that, I’d like to ask you if there is anything you would _like_ to tell me.”  

“There is.”, Izuna replied, watching the girl frown as her first attempt at sneaking into her mind failed.

”Why did they send you to speak to me?”

The blonde let out a breath, smirking and giving a little shake of her head.

“I’m being tested, I guess. Or no one else wants to be humiliated by interrogating a Yamanaka and failing.”

 _Very good_ , Izuna thought.That was disarming, trust building, and very flattering.

It acknowledged her as the intimidating opponent she knew she was and warned her this girl would not

underestimate her, that she knew of her heritage.

The very first Yamanaka clan secret Izuna’s father taught her was to beacon her location and surroundings.

Being young, curious, and prone to getting lost, Izuna did find need of it sometimes.

Once it saved her and her mother’s life.

She had wandered into a cave she’d found. Inside was an immense statue that had many eyes.

While she was looking around, she encountered a strange man there with white hair nearly to his ankles.

He asked her lots of questions, especially about her parents,that she did not answer.

He seemed suspicious of her reticence.

When her mother called for her at the cave entrance, Izuna asked for her mother to come meet the man.

Her mother hurriedly came in and gasped, seeming to recognize him.

She seemed astonished at his presence there, mumbling gratitude and bowing low, so Izuna bowed too.

Her mother talked with the man with awe in her voice for some time.

When Izuna became bored and tugged on her mother’s hand, wanting to leave, the entrance was blocked by

lots of strange, pale people with odd voices. They looked like monsters. Izuna cried.

Something resembling a slick of oil slid over the man, coating much of his skin, then he grabbed her

mother and dragged her away further into the cave.

She wanted to help, but didn’t know how, so she did what her father had told her to.

She tried to hide, sending her father a beacon, showing him their surroundings.

She was sad to hear her mother crying under the man, didn’t want her father to hear because he loved her

mama very much, but they needed his help. When the cries became soft sobs and she couldn’t hear the

man anymore, Izuna finally ventured out to find her mother.

Her father eventually found them and they escaped while the mean old man slept, very still.

The blackness that had covered him was gone.Her mother was never the same after that.

When they were returned to the village, and Izuna went to the academy, she realized who the man was.

She learned that though Izumi was her sister, they may well have different fathers.

Considering that father might be Madara Uchiha, and that he had shamefully taken their mother against her

will, Izuna kept quiet about it to everyone. 

Keeping secrets was Izuna’s greatest talent. She herself had been a secret since birth and her discovery caused

her family intense pain that never entirely went away.

Even Orochimaru had not been able to breach her defense given a decade.

Yamanaka or not, this girl wouldn’t get anything out of her she didn’t want her to.

“Let’s make them jealous instead, then.”,  Izuna replied, “There is alot to tell.”

The devious, conspiratorial smile on the blonde’s face pulled a little string in Izuna’s chest.

She had never been able to get close to her cousins on the other side of her family.

Maybe someday she could be.

* * *

* * *

Naruto came home to find his apartment immaculate.

It wasn’t Sakura this time. Or Hinata.

Sasuke was there, flopped face first, arm hanging off of his couch.

He was resting but not quite asleep.

“What’s going on?”, Naruto asked, “Sakura kick you out already?”

The Uchiha rolled over, eyes regarding Naruto blearily,”I haven’t seen her yet.”

“Uh..not that I mind the company Sasuke but, why are you here then?”

The silence stretched a bit.

“I can’t go home right now.”, he finally said.

“Why not?”

”Everyone is lying for me or to me and I…I don’t know why.”

Sasuke seemed upset, so Naruto tried to insult him out of his mood.

“Everyone lies _for_ you because you’re a selfish jerk who thinks with his dick.”

Sasuke managed to glare at him through his exhaustion.

Naruto frowned at the lack of ire over his insult, decided to try concern instead.

“Who’s lying to you, Sasuke?”, the blonde asked.

The Uchiha rolled on his back to look at the ceiling,”Sakura.”

The blonde sighed,“Is this about her marrying Itachi?”

“Hn.”

Naruto knew Sasuke avoided his jealousy over Sakura like a plague.

The only defense he seemed to have against it was his greater desire for her happiness.

He had just the thing to make Sasuke feel better.

“I heard a rumour today. I promised not to tell Sakura, but I never said I wouldn’t tell it at all.”

Sasuke rolled his eyes,”Why would I care, Naruto?”

“Because it’s about Sakura and Itachi, something someone saw about a year or so ago.”

The Uchiha’s eyes narrowed,”What is it?”

 


	27. Kiss Me Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karin accepts Itachi's offer, Sasuke still can't sleep, and Jiraiya arrives in Konoha.

Karin laid still and silent, hiding from the battling shinobi from within the protective bubble of genjutsu 

the pair had created when she accepted their offer.

Shockwaves and blinding flashes of light were challenges for both shinobi.

Itachi’s greatest weapon was blinded for long enough to take a hit.

Sakura couldn’t get close enough to get in a solid punch.

Finally, the pinkette had a brilliant idea.

“Let’s go headhunting.”

Sakura pulled the Sound shinobi into the ground up to their shoulders.

It kept them still and without the use of their hands long enough for Itachi to throw two kunai into their 

soft necks. It was certainly not the first time he had ended a young life. 

Too often, winning didn’t feel like a victory. He burned the bodies and they all resumed the walk.

Itachi tried to think of something to keep his mind off what they had just done.

A time when a battle ended in life and revelation rather than loss came to mind.

Itachi’s hand spread over Sakura’s back as they walked, his warmth seeping into her clothes.

She looked up at him to find he was looking at her fondly, some sweet memory in his eyes.

“What are you thinking about?”, she asked.

 

The kiss they shared in his hideaway,and every other one since, had been very different from the first.

He’d thought then it would be the last and only time, was filled with longing and sorrow.

 

\---flashback---

 

_ Itachi was ordered to retrieve sacred items from a lost Uchiha hideout,the existence and original purpose  _

_ of it faded into history. On his way back from a mission, the Anbu captain came across a small gathering of  _

_ cloaked shinobi trying and failing to gain entry. Hiding within the branches silently until they departed, he _

_ approached what seemed to be the entrance. An inscription, one he found viewable only by Eternal Mangekyou, _

_ testified that a weapon of mass destruction was hidden there.Itachi informed his father of what he found when  _

_ he returned, and the clan head told him to infiltrate and disarm it. The Uchiha heir asked to to take Sakura along. _

_ Fugaku gave him a suspicious glance, opened his mouth to say something. _

_ His mother intervened, explaining why it  _ would _ be a good idea to bring her. _

_ Sakura has always been a loyal friend to the family. She was intelligent, familiar with Uchiha history, and would  _

_ be certain to bring him home alive. They had frequently been paired together recently and had good mission _

_ outcomes as a two man team. _

_ Itachi of course agreed with all of these perfectly logical reasons. _

_ Certainly there was no other reason to take her along.  _

_ He knew all too well his hopeless crush was indeed hopeless, and though he couldn’t seem to stay away entirely,  _

_ he could at least have the pleasure of her company on the way and her formidable skills on his side.  _

_ The journey to their checkpoint with her teasing banter had been so enjoyable he almost didn’t dread Sasuke _

_ hovering upon his return, asking but not asking of course, about his former team mate and love interest.  _

_ Sakura had smashed her way in when the stone doors wouldn’t budge. _

_ Hordes of pale figures assaulted them once inside, and though he eventually got to a very drained Sakura  _

_ and they escaped with the tablet, he was heavily wounded.  _ _ Sakura healed him, bringing him back from the brink of death. _

_ Then she fell over into his arms, her eyes closed and looking quite pale.  _

_ He lifted  his hand to rouse her, thinking it simple chakra exhaustion, only to find it was coated with her blood. _

_ She had been bleeding profusely as she healed him, literally trading her life for his. _

_ Sakura was dying in his arms. _

_ His heart was overwhelmed with grief and regret. He could have just died here coming alone and that _

_ would’ve been better.  _ _ He had sent for help, but it wouldn't get here in time.These were her last moments. _

_ Itachi tried to give her everything he thought she wanted within Tsukiyomi before she faded away, a full life _

_ she would never have in reality,with love and children and precious moments with the man she desired.  _

_ When he felt her recoil at the vision of life with a remorseful Sasuke, Itachi appeared within the illusion,  _

_ confronting her consciousness.  _ _ She looked at him curiously,“Why did you show me that?” _

_ “I was hoping to make your dreams come true, allow you a life that would please you.”,  _ _ he replied,shaking his head _

_ in defeat. ”I can’t save you, Sakura. You will die here.” _

_ Sakura smiled softly at him,”I don’t want the future you showed me .” _

_ Itachi frowned,”Surely you know what Sasuke has done pains him, though I know it has also hurt you. Why  _

_ will you not forgive him, even at the end?” _

_ Sakura stepped forward, taking his hand,”I do forgive him. Sasuke is my friend and I care for him very much.”  _

_ Her hold on his hand tightened,”But we won’t work. Not because he broke a promise, but because he would break  _

_ others. He doesn’t know how to be  _ with _ me.” _

_ "I see.”, Itachi said, and he really did.  _

_ Expecting Sasuke’s cooperation was a fool’s errand at best, and he could only imagine how difficult that must have _

_ been for Sakura. _ _ “I can let you experience any life you wish here, but you must decide.” _

_ Sakura’s eyes began to water,”Just stay here until the end.” _

_ Itachi nodded, allowing her to hold his hand for as long as she wished. _

_ His mind drifted to his own fantasy, wishing he could hold her hand in his because they felt the same way,  _

_ that there wasn’t a reason for him to hold back.   _ _ Her beautiful green eyes were boring into him, but they could  _

_ not have been saying what he thought they were. His own desires must be affecting things, and this was not the time. _

_ The Tsukuyomi's sky soon darkened to black, and before the shadows closed in to wrap it’s arms around her,  _

_ Sakura wrapped her arms around him. _ _ ”Thank you for being _ with  _ me.” _

_ He nuzzled her hair despite himself,”You are welcome.” _

_ Then it ended and he opened his eyes, held her failing body tightly against him. _

_ His eyes traveled over her face as he caressed her hair. She never told him a dream to give her. Just to stay.  _

_ Sakura had no last words for anyone, had only wanted to hold his hand. _

_ Maybe, just once... _

_ He touched her face, soft and reverent, as she took her last breaths. He let a single tear fall, allowed himself _

_ to kiss her lips as he wished he had been able to do when there was still life beating strong in her chest.  _

_ Itachi pulled back to gaze at her once more before he carried her soon lifeless body back to Konoha. _

_ The seal on her forehead was glowing. _ _ Black lines began running along her body, the glow surrounding her. _

_ She took a gasping breath, opened her eyes. _

_ A tired smile graced the lips he’d just touched with his own once she saw his face. _

_ He briefly wondered if he was dreaming. “Sakura?” _

_ A hand found his shoulder, and he turned to see honey colored eyes and a knowing smile. _

_ “She’ll be alright, Itachi-san.”, the Slug princess said. Sakura’s friend was standing behind Tsunade as well, _

_ blue eyes fixed on the scene before them. _

\----end of flashback----

Surely they had told her, but she never said anything about it to him, even now.

He would wait until she spoke of it.

Itachi bent down to give her a light kiss on the lips in answer,smirking as he pulled back.

Sakura gave him a playful smile,”Fine, don’t tell me.”

His smirk curved just a bit more.

She stopped and turned toward him, her curiosity growing,”Please?”

He reached up with two fingers and poked her forehead,”Maybe some other..”

Then he was gone in a swirl of leaves.

Stone walls surrounded him again, a red door directly before him, someone pounding on the other side of it.

* * *

* * *

 

Sasuke thought in the dark of Naruto’s living room, relentless suspicions torturing him into wakefulness after

the report his blonde friend gave him.

Of course, the loud snoring from the Uzumaki’s room didn’t help either.

Someone was knocking on the door.

Sasuke got up and opened it, black eyes regarding the Sannin who stood before him.

“Is Naruto awake?” , he asked, making the young Uchiha want to roll his eyes.

”He’s snoring.Can’t you hear it?”, Sasuke grumbled, going back to sit down on the couch. 

Jiraiya   had dodged enough rasengan while waking the blonde to last him till the end of his days.

”Tell Naruto to pack up. We have a journey ahead of us.”

“Hn.”

A photo of Sakura caught the visitor’s attention.She’d _ definitely _ grown.

“Say,how’s that pretty pink haired teammate of yours?”

A smug smirk appeared on Sasuke’s lips,unable to pass on the chance to roast the Sannin and hold Sakura

accountable for her choice of mission.”You have no chance, old man. She married my brother.”

Jiraiya  frowned in disapproval.

_ Little bastard. _

A few years ago the Sannin woke up on the ground outside a teahouse, Tsunade standing over him and shaking

her head,”I told Fugaku he could kill you the next time you flirted with the clan matriarch, baka.”

She reached out a hand to help him up,“Come on, I need a drink.”

Even Itachi saw fit to tease him sometimes. It wasn’t  _ his _ fault their mother was so beautiful.

He returned the courtesy he was shown,”At least it wasn’t you.”

Sasuke scowled.This is why he hated people. Most were incapable of kindness.

“I heard the oddest rumour that your brother is traveling with an Uchiha woman.”,  Jiraiya   mused, observing

the boys reaction. Sasuke knew something, but he wasn’t telling.  Silence rang in the living room.

Sakura was an open book.He could probably get _ her _ to reveal more about this before he talked to Kakashi.

She was always such a sensitive girl, whether by love and care or furious anger.

”So, where is his lovely wife now?”, the Sannin asked. 

“I don’t know.”

“She’s not in Konoha?”

Sasuke growled,”No. Somewhere  _ private _ .”

“Ah..thank you.”, the older man said, cutting his losses and turning towards Hokage tower.

Prying information out of the young Uchiha was even worse than squeezing it out of Kakashi.

* * *

* * *

 

Five minutes of useless discussion passed, and the Copy nin took a breath to ease his frustration.

The Toad Sannin leaned forward in his chair, taking in the irritated man that was obviously counting the minutes

before he could politely duck out of the conversation.  He decided he’d worn the Sixth down enough.

“I visited with some friends recently.”

Kakashi hated small talk, but for his favorite novelist he would get through it, one syllable at a time.

This was likely more of it.“Oh?”

Jiraiya  leveled a knowing look at the Sixth Hokage,“One of them said he knows an Izuna, said she, Itachi, and 

Izumi were with Orochimaru.”

Kakashi’s brows furrowed,crossing his arms over his chest. He trusted  Jiraiya  of course, but was not in the habit 

of offering up more information than was needed. 

Besides, it was clear now that all that babbling had been a game to break his patience.He waited quietly.

“Naturally I was worried when I heard about it,”, the Sannin continued,” so I came right away.I take it he was mistaken?”

“Who are these friends of yours?”, Hatake asked.

“Peace loving mercenaries.”,  Jiraiya   replied.

The Copy nin eye smiled,“Aren’t we all?”

Losing his own patience with Kakashi’s deflecting,  Jiraiya paused a moment, then asked as casually as he could 

manage, “Where is Itachi-san? I’d like to catch up, congratulate him on landing such a lovely wife. You must be

pleased your student married such an honorable shinobi.”

The Hokage’s eyes narrowed,”He’s on a mission.”

“And this.. Izumi?”

He hadn’t involved himself in Uchiha affairs for a while, especially after the embarrassing incident.

Itachi didn’t seem the type to defect, especially to leave his wife behind and leave with another woman.

Kakashi sighed, rubbing his forehead,”Just tell me what was said. I’ll tell you what I can.”

The Toad Sannin nodded,“The boy I spoke to said that Orochimaru was  _ making _ himself an Uchiha, the old 

fashioned way. He was pretty upset, said the girl’s sister was pregnant and there with Itachi.”

Kakashi stood, walking to the windows overlooking the village.

“Don’t talk to anyone else about this. I need you to bring your friends here, as soon as possible. I’d like to speak to them.”

“They’re plotting to overthrow Orochimaru.”,  Jiraiya  warned.”Might be bad politics, Kakashi.”

Eyebrow cocked, the Sixth turned back to face his guest and asked,“How?”

Jiraiya  brought his voice down to a soft whisper, knowing Kakashi would hear, “One of them has the Rinnegan.

He was my student just after the war. Better to ignore them than to stand in their way. Be _ sure _ you want to start this.”

“You taught an Uchiha outside Konoha?”

Jiraiya chuckled,”No,no. He’s an Uzumaki.”

The Sixth felt a shudder coming on at the thought of Naruto with Rinnegan.

“What do they ultimately want?”, Kakashi asked.

“Stability, of course.They call themselves the Akatsuki.”

Shikamaru rapped a knuckle on the door before poking his head inside with pleading eyes.

“Ino is here with a report, and driving me nuts already.”

“Send her in.”, Kakashi said.”Lord  Jiraiya may want to hear this.”

Ino’s normally vivacious personality was subdued as she came and stood before the Sixth’s desk, lips set in a

grim line, not even glaring at  Jiraiya’s blatant stare.  “We got a lot more out of her than anyone else from Sound. 

She gave us enough to keep us busy for months, but…”, Ino’s shoulders slumped,”I know there’s more she’s not saying. 

I can sense she gave us most of this to keep us busy, distract me from other things she didn’t want to say. 

I need more time with her.”

Kakashi nodded,”You’ll get it. For now, her presence has been requested by Mikoto-san for dinner.Have Izuna

ready by five sharp and looking  _ traditionally _ Uchiha please. Go home and get some rest until then.”

“Hai.”

Ino handed him her written report and exited the room.

Kakashi was absorbed in it’s contents, startling a little when  Jiraiya  spoke again.

“So, this girl is here?”

Kakashi nodded, eyes still scanning the report,“Let the Akatsuki know. I want to hear the explanation as to

why they are so interested in her, in person.”

* * *

* * *

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	28. Tell The Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke runs into Ino on the way home, is confronted by Mikoto, and has a troublesome dinner guest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first of three chapters to describe a single day.  
> The first with Sasuke being in Konoha, the second with Sakura and Karin, the third with Itachi in Sound.

As Sasuke descended the stairs at Naruto’s place to head home, he saw a girl with a familiar blonde ponytail come up .

Ino looked worried,”I’ve been looking all over for Sakura. Is she here?”

Normally he would just say no and walk off, but this was as good an opportunity as any.

“Why are you looking for her?”

“I haven’t seen her in days! She just got married Sasuke-kun! I want to hear all the _good_ stuff. Is she still

on honeymoon or what?”

Sasuke did not want to think about Ino and Sakura gossiping about his brother, especially like.....that.

He did his best to steer the subject to the one on his own mind,“Naruto told me about the kiss.”

Seeing the look of shock on her face made him feel a little better.

“I told him to shut up until I told her!”

Sasuke had thought about it most of the night, finding his suspicion that Sakura married Itachi solely out of a

mission very unlikely. She was hurt after what happened between them, and she certainly had more walls up,

but she hadn’t changed _that_ much. She had seemed broken after Itachi left, devastated.

He knew Sakura too long not to know that was genuine. As uncomfortable as it was, Sakura’s heart was elsewhere

now, and she was where she wanted to be no matter what Kakashi said.

That left Kakashi ordering it as a mission.

It was an incredibly unethical way to get her out of a clan marriage, but not outside of something the Sixth Hokage

might do for the female orphan of the only team he ever led. Never hurt to be sure.

“Did Kakashi know about it?”, he asked, ignoring Ino’s tirade against his friend.

Ino scoffed,”Do you honestly think he _doesn’t_ know everything? Who she’s interested in is something he would

care about..” Ino paused then, tilting her head thoughtfully.”Actually, he seemed a little upset about them getting

together when we were packing everything up at her place.”

“In what way?”, Sasuke prodded.

“He told Shisui to make sure she talked to him before she talked to your dad.”

 The blonde smiled wistfully then, looking out over the stair railing towards Hokage tower.

“He’s very protective of her. I think it’s kinda cute, but I know Sakura gets annoyed by it sometimes.”

Sasuke had to admit that, despite resenting the way the Sixth treated him after the split, he often relied on Kakashi to

look out for Sakura.Relieved he hadn’t had the chance to accuse Sakura of wrongdoing while he was still angry

from his talk with Kakashi, he told Ino,”Sakura and my brother have left Konoha, probably to bond.”

Ino let out a disappointed huff,“Alright, then. I guess I’ll see you at five, Sasuke-kun.”

“Hn?”

Ino gave him a confused look,“Your mom wants me to bring Izuna-san to your house for dinner tonight.You didn’t know?”

Sasuke shook his head,“Have you talked to Izuna?”

Ino was indignant,“You know I can’t tell you that Sasuke. Honestly!”

_Tch.You just did_ , he thought.

“I’ll pick her up and take her to the house for dinner.”, he offered.

Even ten minutes alone to question her before she waltzed in his home was better than none.

“Great!”, Ino beamed,”See if you can find her sister too. Fugaku has been looking all over for her.”  

Sasuke contained his surprise. How Izuna had gotten through an interrogation without Izumi’s whereabouts

being disclosed was beyond him.

Sasuke moved away without another word, heading for home.

When he got there, his mother was busying herself with making a rather lavish dinner.

He  entered the kitchen and began wordlessly chopping the vegetables she had set out.

 

Mikoto  didn’t like keeping secrets from her husband, and now one secret had become too many.

When her oldest son had fallen ill and was not expected to live much longer, she hid her own broken heart for Sasuke’s sake.

Itachi had asked her not to tell him, had assumed near the end he would simply die in battle and Sasuke would be none the wiser.

She did tell Fugaku, but her husband would not let Tsunade help him, didn’t trust the Senju.

So, Mikoto took him on her own.

After a while, the slug princess did find a treatment, but it’s side effects wiped away any chance of offspring

for her treasured eldest. It was a tragedy, but a lesser one, and she was grateful every day her gentle son lived.

Fugaku was proud his son recovered on what he thought was strength alone.

Itachi told her he planned to ask Sasuke to father children for him to keep the line intact when the time came.

It wasn’t perfect, but Itachi would have a child to love and raise and call his own that was truly a blood relative.

She left it to them, believing Sasuke would agree to this out of love for his brother.

When Mikoto happened upon Sasuke in what sounded like a compromising position with Izumi, she assumed

Itachi had decided to marry her and asked Sasuke for help. Mikoto was not fond of Izumi and knew her son did

not feel inclined to live out his days with her, but also understood the danger she posed if left unchecked.

She did her best to mind her own business, but after a while no one was marrying and Mikoto was getting worried.

When the girl showed signs of pregnancy, something the clan matriarch was looking for, she made sure to coax

Izumi to the front of the procession so Hiashi and his clan could determine if she indeed was carrying a child.

When Fugaku told her Itachi’s engagement had been broken off a while ago but Hiashi had told him Izumi was with child,

she begged him to discover who the father was before he said anything.

He did not discover Sasuke, he discovered poor Yamato, and told the Hokage.

Then Itachi married Sakura. Mikoto came to Sakura’s apartment to discuss things with her, but her son was present

and looking very content, so she shelved it.

Besides, Naruto was very helpful, likely much more than Sakura would have been.

Her oldest son and Tsunade’s apprentice were in love. Sasuke wanted to marry but Naruto had never met her.

Sasuke wasn’t helping Itachi. It seemed he had only helped himself.

She had tried to find Yamato when she couldn’t locate Izumi, but he was also missing.

Mikoto was at the market when she saw Shikamaru dragging him home in an inebriated state.

She followed them to his home and offered to nurse him back to health.

Learning what kind of woman Izumi truly was from the grieving man had made her sick with worry.

The harlot likely had her grandchild within her, and was also nowhere to be found.

This was the first moment she’d been alone with Sasuke since all of this came to a head.

She reminded herself to always give him the benefit of the doubt, no matter how much she might want to throttle him.

Mikoto waited to speak until he wasn’t chopping vegetables and walked back to the fridge to put the spare produce away.

“How long have you been helping Itachi with Izumi?”

Sasuke froze, his back turned to her,”Helping?”,  he asked. ”Why would Itachi need my help with her?”

Mikoto’s heart sank,the fear all but confirmed,“He never told you?”

Sasuke whirled around then,“Told me what?”

His stomach dropped at the barely withheld accusation in her eyes.

“That he is sterile and needed you to have children.”

Sasuke was still for a while, a pained and sorrowful expression on his face, then made for the door.

Mikoto let him. He hadn’t known, and it was a big pill to swallow.

“Be here for dinner Sasuke.”, she called as he put on his shoes.

“Aa.”, he promised before walking out.

Sasuke took a walk around Konoha, heart heavy. He promised to stay out of Itachi and Sakura’s way, but it just

didn’t seem possible anymore. He had to tell the truth now, whether his brother and his new wife liked it or not.

His own mother was expecting him to give his brother a child for the clan, thought he’d been _helping_ Itachi have

a family instead of being the selfish asshole he’d been. Of course he would have helped if he’d known.

Except now, he was married to Sakura, and that meant that whether his brother came back or not…..

He shook the thought out of his mind.There had to be a better way. Maybe Sakura could heal him?

Itachi did not seem the kind of man to marry someone and not tell them something like that. She _must_ have known.

By the time Sasuke realized it was time to pick up Izuna, he was ten minutes late.

Ino raised a brow at him when he came to the door,”Running behind?”.

“Is she ready?”

Ino rolled her eyes, “Of course she is. Izuna-san! He’s here!”

Quiet footsteps came to the door.

Izuna  greeted him in a simple dress, all long hair and full, glossed lips.

Her eyes focused somewhere just above his right shoulder, ”Sasuke-san.”

Sasuke reached out a hand to guide her along, but she shook her head, taking a step back.

He dropped it, remembering she said not to touch her.

She walked in silence beside him, averting her eyes. Her humble clothes, demure manner, and confident grace

were sharply contrasted with her sibling. When they were a distance away from Ino’s apartment, he asked her what

he’d been wanting to know since Izuna’s conversation with his father.

”Why didn’t you tell?”

Izuna quirked a brow,”You are of the main house and _you_ are aware of this family matter. Isn’t that enough?”

He fidgeted with his hands, feeling a bit unnerved by her,“My parents are not aware.”

Her black eyes looked up at him,“Why not tell them? What are you afraid of?”

He mumbled, hopefully low enough to avoid detection, “I fathered the....”

Izuna nodded, “I know that, but does anyone else? Your wife?”

Her directness threw him off track. What must she think of him?

“I’m not..I’ve never been married. She was the only one I..”, he sighed. “Nevermind.”

Izuna let out a breath of relief. That made things less of a mess for both of them.

Sasuke realized she was not answering his original question and didn’t seem inclined to, so he elaborated on

the situation to gauge her reaction and intention. “Izumi could come back, and my brother took the blame.”

Izuna took a moment to absorb this information, then shook her head.

”My sister won’t return. You are not as trapped as you think.”

It was obvious to her Sasuke was not convinced, was desperately hoping for reassurance and control.

He was not getting the reigns right now, but she couldn’t stop herself from comforting him.

She put her hand on his arm,”Take your turn speaking with me at the table. I will help you.”

Suddenly realizing that she had touched him, she quickly withdrew her hand as if burned.

Sasuke logged it away for further consideration, too preoccupied to react much at the moment, other than how

strangely nice it had felt when he normally despised being touched.

They reached the door, took off their shoes.

Sasuke introduced Izuna to his mother and they sat to eat at the table.

”Where’s father?”, Sasuke asked, attempting nonchalance.

“He’ll be along soon to join us.,” his mother replied.

“While we’re waiting,” Mikoto added, giving Sasuke a pointed look,” your father tells me you’ve asked permission

to marry. Who is she?”

Obviously, his mother wished to continue their conversation one way or the other, guest or no.

_Are you going to marry Izumi or not?_ seemed the question this time.

The young Uchiha swallowed before speaking,“I just wanted to know when I could.” _No._

“I’ve heard Itachi-san is happily wed.”, Izuna remarked, hoping to break the palpable tension.

Mikoto smiled slightly after giving a quick, concerned glance towards Sasuke.

”Sakura-chan is someone I’ve considered a daughter for a long time.”

“I don’t recall ever meeting her.”, Izuna said, “Who are her parents?”

Sasuke enlightened her,“Oh, you probably didn’t. She’s from a civilian family.”

Mikoto averted her eyes and took a sip of her drink.

The entrance to the Uchiha residence opened and slammed shut, turning all eyes toward the sound.

Fugaku walked in to the dining room, face thunderous, “Izumi is missing.”

Izuna calmly raised her eyes to his, deciding to blow the lid off.

“She is with Orochimaru. I was exchanged for her and her child.”

Sasuke’s mouth dropped open, managing to slam it shut again before anyone saw.

Fugaku gave Izuna a stern look, demanding an explanation.

“Forgive me for not saying so at first, Fugaku-sama. This is clan business, not the business of all of Konoha.”

Fugaku nodded. Sasuke could have sworn he saw something like a grudging respect in his father’s eyes.

“Who is the father of her child?”, he asked.

Sasuke moved to stand, but Izuna shot her hand out and pressed down on his thigh, signaling him to remain seated.

“I know my sister well enough to not know for certain, but it doesn’t matter.”, Izuna replied,”The child is _mine_.

Izumi is unmarried and I’m her only living relative.”

“Isn’t it _Izumi’s_?”, Sasuke asked, alarmed at how this was all going.

Fugaku glanced worriedly at his rapidly paling wife, then back to Izuna.

The Uchiha’s dinner guest explained her reasoning,“Orochimaru intends to breed her once she gives birth.

Itachi-san will destroy her before he can.”

Fugaku had tried to find Sakura and Itachi, was told they both left the village while he was waiting for Sasuke.

When they didn’t arrive from the mission with the Sound shinobi, he assumed they needed more time alone

together and brushed it off. It was unlike either of them to leave like that, but recalling his own joining with

Mikoto, he decided to leave it be. “Where is Itachi?”, he asked.

“Guarding Izumi there until the child is born, protecting the sharingan, and pining for his love.”

Mikoto’s glass fell to the floor and shattered, a horrified gasp coming out of her mouth.

It broke Sasuke out of his stupor. He went to her.

“Does his wife know of this?”, was Fugaku’s question as he ran one hand along Mikoto’s back and the other through his own hair.

“I do not know. I have never spoken to her that I know of.”

Sasuke gazed at his mother’s trembling fingers and brought her to stand, guiding her to her room without another word.

Fugaku watched them go then turned back to Izuna,”Did anyone in interrogation get this information from you?”

Izuna smirked,“No. They know only what I chose to tell them.”

Sasuke closed the door to his parent’s bedroom and faced his mother once she sat on the bed.

“It’s clear what you’ve done, why Itachi is there.”, she said, tears beginning to steadily track down her face.

Sasuke winced at the pain in her voice,”How _could_ you?”

 He knelt, his own eyes stinging, and took Mikoto’s hand,“I’m sorry mother.”

Mikoto sighed heavily, placing her other hand on his bowed head and running her fingers through his wild hair.

_I’m sorry too._

”There is only one way to fix this. Will you do it, Sasuke?”

  
  
  



	29. Making friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sakura finds the Akatsuki and runs into problems. She follows through on her own plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all your comments and kudos guys! They keep me going and are much appreciated.

When the Uchiha first appeared, Karin considered it a mission failure.

The sound pair would come and Karin didn’t think she would survive a fight with them. 

They had been put with the sacrifices for a reason, to pick off any that ran or were captured. 

Most shinobi who saw them running let them go, though they were much older than they appeared. 

This time they weren’t running back to base, they’d been running after  _ her _ .

Did they think she was a sacrifice too, or did they suspect she was a traitor?

Karin decided to err on the side of caution.

When the girl with the leaf headband came, and they offered to fight them for her, she realized she might

have a chance to slip away while they died fighting the pair from Sound, so she agreed.

They imprisoned her inside of a genjutsu bubble, making escape impossible.

Somehow, they managed to kill the assassins from Sound. They were better than she thought.

Her friends would be angry about her leading them to their camp, but in her defense the pink haired

girl and the Uchiha would have probably tried an approach even if she hadn’t agreed, and that blasted 

crow had pinpointed their location anyway.

Then the Uchiha disappeared, and Karin briefly considered making a run for it.

But the leaf girl pointed to the crow in the sky as it flew a distance and circled.

“He’s always watching.”, she said. Her green eyes had a fury in them and her lips were curved up like 

she was actually  _ hoping  _ for a little trouble today. Karin had all the trouble she wanted for now and stayed put.

“Why do you want to see them?”, Karin asked.

“My partner has seen them before, outside of a base we were nearly killed at, and we want to know what 

they had to do with it or what they know. It was full of plant based clones we've never seen before.”

The redhead sighed. Nagato wouldn’t like this at all, and neither would Deidara.

“The leader will probably just kill you.”, Karin warned.”You’re making a mistake.”

The girl smiled sweetly then, but Karin could tell it was meant to be a warning.

“You thought the two back there would kill us. You were wrong.”

Karin was about to open her mouth to reply, but was interrupted.

A deep voice rang through the forest,“Why have you brought her here?”

They turned to see a man floating above them in the air, burgundy hair to his chin blown back from his 

face, hand outstretched and aimed at them, purple eyes swirling.

Sakura’s mouth hung open at the sight of the famed Rinnegan and the world ending chakra suddenly 

emanating from this man, but Karin was rather nonchalant.

“She’s a Leaf nin who intercepted me on my way from Sound.”, she answered.  


His strange eyes locked on Sakura,“Did Jiraiya-sama send you?”

Sakura was at a loss for a split second, then nodded,“He is the master of my team mate.”

Karin’s eyes narrowed on her, lips parting to speak, but was interrupted again.

Another new voice broke in,“My baby, yeah!”

Deidara came up behind Karin, wrapping his arms about her shoulders and kissing her cheek. 

The first man glanced their way briefly, feet meeting the ground as he moved toward Sakura.

”Let’s talk over here while they catch up.”

Sakura wasn’t really in a position to protest, actually glad for once she knew the Toad Sannin.

Sakura was well aware she wasn’t easy to kill, but the power she sensed from this man made her more

than a little wary. Rangou was circling above her. Her host noticed but said nothing.

She looked over her shoulder as they walked away to see the pretty blonde boy, looking remarkably

like a male version of Ino, draping himself over the redhead she’d just been traveling with.

She wondered if she and her lover looked like that to others. 

Itachi seemed overwhelmed with the need to express his affection once they reunited, as if once in her

presence only the two of them existed. Even before they were lovers, whenever they spoke it seemed the 

rest of the world dimmed into the distance, became more background noise than anything. 

It was something about him, about _ them _ , that always made her heart flutter and her knees weak.

Her host led her to a circle of logs in a clearing. A small campfire was in it’s center, and the Rinnegan bearer 

graciously offered her tea and a seat. 

“Jiraiya-sama said he would bring Naruto here, but said nothing of you. Now that Karin has arrived, it should

be even more enlightening.” 

Sakura didn’t want to give away that she wasn’t part of the welcoming party just yet. 

She could cross that bridge once the redhead, Karin, came back with her boyfriend.

“Why?”

“I am Uzumaki Nagato. It is a pleasure to meet someone else close to my family.We’re all cousins of a dying breed.

I believe the three of us to be all that’s left.”

This man was an Uzumaki? He seemed strangely subdued for one, at least in personality.

Sakura smiled, picturing how happy it would make Naruto to meet family members. It made her distaste of

Jiraiya a little less that he would arrange that for him. She found it hard not to talk about her dearest friend.

”I wouldn’t worry about that too much.With Naruto, it won’t be too long before you have a whole lot more of them.”

Nagato looked pleasantly surprised,“He has married?”

“Uh..No.”, Sakura said, wishing he would ask poor Hinata already.

Nagato frowned, putting his cup of tea down on a log and crossing his arms.

“Neither has Karin.”

“What about you?”

Nagato blushed, “Why do you ask?”

_ Oops _ , Sakura thought.Shrugging, she said,”Just curious. I’m recently married myself.”

Nagato’s shoulders slumped a little but he smirked all the same.

”Where is your husband? Do you hail from a clan?”

I am a Haruno by birth,” she explained,” from a family of civilian  merchants. I am the first Haruno shinobi that I know of.”

“Is your husband a shinobi as well?”, he asked.

Just then, Karin stepped into the clearing, answering for her,”He’s an Uchiha, and she wants to know 

about the place Izuna showed me.”

Sakura could _ feel  _ Nagato’s eyes narrowing at her before he stood.

HIs graciousness vanished in a heartbeat,“Restrain her. We leave for Konoha at once.”

Sakura stood, held out her hands,”Wait!”

It was to no avail.The previously polite man was suddenly right in front of her, grasping her flak vest. 

“If I don’t like what I find there, I will raze your city to the ground.”

Sakura felt a hit to the back of her head and the lights went out.

She came to on the back of Deidara’s bird, hogtied and hearing Karin’s voice.

“I think they sent those two after me. What if he knows? I can’t go back there!”

Nagato sighed,”Very well. Come with us. The girl will ride with Deidara.”

Konoha was the last place Sakura wanted to go. She needed to find a way out of here.

She tested her bonds. They were solid. If she didn’t get out now she’d have to drop from the sky and

hope she didn’t break her neck on the way down.

Itachi’s crow was nowhere to be found, probably on it’s way to warn Konoha.

One less thing to worry about then if she managed to get out of this. Kakashi would know they were coming.

Maybe two, because now Itachi wouldn’t see her coming and stop her.

The bird lifted into the air. Sakura watched the landscape get further away.

She gulped, looking for a way down, maybe a tall tree, while she wiggled her wrists enough to make the 

signs for a clone. It wouldn’t do any good for her to get caught escaping. They didn’t seem to be paying her

much mind, assuming the genjutsu they put her under to be holding. She saw her chance a few miles away.

_ Just close your eyes and go. _

She made the clone, then rolled off the back of the bird as it approached the tall tree, tied up and falling through the sky.

She shunshinned out of the ropes, miscalculating slightly in  her panic and hitting her hand on a thick branch on 

the way down. It broke her wrist. She bit down enough to make her lip bleed to stifle the scream, not wanting to alert

her captors of her escape. Broken and bruised, Sakura landed on the forest floor, taking a breath before holding her

wrist and healing it. If she had gathered chakra to her fists this wouldn’t have happened, but the fall had frightened her. 

She vowed to practice falls while bound so this could never happen again.

_ Once you know of a weakness in your training, you take care of it.  _

It didn’t look like they noticed her absence. She would need to move soon, find Itachi.

She knew he would be upset with her for coming, but this time he would have to accept it.

Sakura wasn’t breaking her promise per se. She had only promised to stay with him as his wife no matter

what it took. Sakura understood all of his worries, she really did, but she meant what she wrote in that letter, 

and she wouldn’t let him leave her behind and do this alone.

They were doing this together, and Sasuke could manage this without her.

Besides, if he became clan heir instead of Itachi and didn’t give her a pass on having to sleep with him, all

Sasuke would have to worry about is the afterlife. She would have him in terror every moment of his

existence before he laid one hand on her again.

She stood, brushing herself off, looked around. She headed in the direction Itachi told her Karin had come from.

An hour or so along, she heard voices. A low mumble, like many people speaking at once in a large group.

Taking to the trees, she saw a trail of shinobi walking along. They had sound headbands.

She left her own headband in the tree, put on a henge of Karin, and wandered into the crowd.

No one attempted to hurt her. Perhaps Karin had been paranoid about being found out. 

Sakura listened in on the conversations around her. A worried man in front of her wrung his hands and

ranted, “My brother isn’t back. Those leaf bastards must have taken him. I won’t rest until they’re all dead!”

A soft spoken boy with light grey hair admonished him.“The Leaf told my brother to kill me, pitted us against 

each other as a test, but he stayed his hand. There is corruption there, but not all of their citizens deserve to die.”

Next to the grey haired boy was a beautiful man, long dark hair tied at the back and two long tendrils framing 

his face, big brown eyes looking ahead as they walked,"When a person has something important they want to

protect, that's when they can become truly strong.”, he offered. 

The white haired shinobi walking with them scoffed,“What are you trying to say then? You killed your father and

everyone he came with.”

The beautiful boy frowned,“My father tried to kill me after my mother. His fear of us was more important than his love.

I was small and afraid.”

“You’re a hypocrite, selfish like everyone else. You wanted to live more than anything, just like that freak with the spiral eyes. 

He killed some nin from Konoha that killed his parents, then let one of them train him when he started to starve.”, he retorted, 

smirking with sharp, jagged teeth.The grey haired boy tapped his shoulder, whispering,“Karin is walking right behind us.”

“Oh yeah.”, the boy turned, putting on like he just noticed her. “Hey, You’re an Uzumaki. How come one of your kind has Uchiha eyes?”

Sakura shrugged, not wanting to say too much before they got where they were going.

The boy gave her a strange look in response,”What’s a matter, Karin? Got the fight fucked out of you or something?”

Then he actually winked at her,”I bet you did.”

_ Ohh, this guy. No woman in their right mind would let this go. _

Sakura’s face went red, fist balled up,”Shut the fuck up, sharkface!”

The man smiled,”There she is!”

That was it. Sakura put her fist through his back, finding punching him much like punching the surface of a river. 

She withdrew her fist, frowning. That was….very unsatisfying.

“Temper, temper!”, the nin chided, looking thoroughly amused. 

Being near this guy was going to give her too much trouble.

Sakura scanned the group for a softer person to walk with. At last she found a quiet man, tall with 

orange hair and solidly built, with an expression as sweet as a dove. He walked next to her in silence most 

of the way. Then his huge hand settled on her shoulder,“Where is she, stranger? Why are you here?”

There was no sense in lying. She looked into his eyes and knew she was caught.

“On her way to Konoha with friends. I’m looking for my husband.”

He withdrew his hand and began walking again,“Any friend of hers is a friend of mine. Anything I can do to help?”

_Oh thank Kami!_ , Sakura thought. “How do I get inside without being caught?”

The large man shook his head, “You  _ will _ be caught. That is certain. Are you sure you want to do this?”

Sakura’s brows furrowed in determination,“I’m not leaving him alone.”          

The large man smiled down at her,”He’s lucky to have you. We should get to the new base by nightfall.”

Sakura popped a soldier pill. After the day she had she would have to pace herself.

Her mind drifted, wondering about the look that would be on her husband’s face when she arrived.

  
  



	30. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Itachi travels with Izumi, Kabuto, and Orochimaru to the new base. He is confronted with a new member - Sakura.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter is shorter, but I couldn't resist.

The man behind the door was none other than Kabuto, looking exasperated as he opened the door.

”What took you so long? Lord Orochimaru is waiting. I need you to carry Izumi-chan to the transport portal. Hurry up!”

Itachi wanted to roll his eyes at Kabuto’s familiar address of his prisoner but remained neutral in expression.

Carrying Izumi was near the bottom of the list of things he wanted to experience just now.

She would make it as unpleasant as possible, most likely. Nevertheless, he followed Kabuto up to her cell.

She was unrestrained.”Do you expect me to carry this woman without chakra restraints?”, he asked.

A voice smooth as silk responded to his question,”Izumi-san will behave herself. Won’t you my dear?”

“Yes, Lord Orochimaru.”, Izumi responded dutifully.

Yellow eyes fixed on him in all seriousness,“If she doesn’t Itachi-kun, I will give her a painful death.”

“Hn.” Itachi acknowledged, knowing damn well his idea of behaving and Orochimaru’s likely differed a great deal.

He came to her and lifted her up. Her eyes had been removed and it irked him, her concave lids something

all Uchiha’s feared at some point. Kabuto sent him a look of irritation which he ignored.

Itachi walked down the stairs with her and the others followed. Izumi was still and silent.

Just when he thought his worries might have been in vain, Izumi reached her hand in his pocket and squeezed.

Katsuyu was gone with a poof..

Izumi rested her head on his shoulder, lips reaching up to his ear.

“That wasn’t very wise.”, she whispered.”Besides, you don’t need to talk to her. You’ll be apart a long time,

and while _you_ may be able to control yourself knowing how _good_ it feels to fuck”, she continued, reaching

to palm him through his pants,”what makes you think she can?”

He loosened his grip on her, letting her know he’ll let go if she continues.

“Drop me and I’ll tell them about that little worm in your pocket, Itachi-kun.”, she said, loud enough for

their companions to hear.

Kabuto chuckled,”Little worm, huh? Maybe Sakura-san needs better company.”

“Maybe Sasuke can help her.”, Izumi gleefully replied. “The first time we fucked I put on a henge of her,

he begged me to. He lasted all of two minutes.”

With much effort, Itachi refused to let them break him down.

He held the vile woman in his arms and carried her to the meeting point as she wriggled against him

and searched him out, saying whatever she could think of to break his heart and humiliate him.

It was an excruciating ten minutes, planting too many seeds of painful doubt inside him.

Though his face remained a blank mask, his eyes stung. He wanted nothing more in the world than to

wrap Sakura in his arms just now, be comforted and reassured by her.

Or drop this bitch on her head and break her neck.

He needed a distraction.

He glanced at Kabuto. The silver haired medic was looking at him warily. Wait. Not just warily.

There was jealousy in his eyes. He decided to test his theory. He held Izumi a little closer, put a look

of lust on his face.“Will you please me while Sakura and I are apart Izumi-chan?”

The woman in his arms startled a bit, clearly not expecting that. Kabuto’s face was red with anger.

“I’m sure I can find better company too.”, she spat.

Though Itachi could admit the exchange made him feel a little better, his heart sank knowing what Izumi’s

plan was now. She was trying to sway Kabuto to her side. Planning her own escape. Considering how

possessive he seemed to be after only a few days, her plan was working. He chanced a brief glance at

Orochimaru, who looked back at him knowingly, nodding. At least one person here saw through all of this.

Whatever else Orochimaru was he was not a blind fool, and it was difficult not to feel at least a little respect for that.

Maybe it was why so many loved him. This was going to feel like the longest mission of his life.

They arrived and the transport seal was activated. Itachi opened his eyes to a new place.

Orochimaru’s white robes whirled away like a ghost as he made his way elsewhere in the compound

without a word. A frail looking man with white hair whispered next to him as they walked away, his chakra

resembling the clones he and Sakura had encountered just enough to pique his interest.

He determined to learn more about him when the opportunity arose.

Kabuto took Izumi from Itachi, held her gently. The Uchiha’s stomach turned.

“Where do I go now?”, he asked the medic.

Kabuto shrugged,”Pick whatever’s empty.” Then he walked away.

Itachi would not be able to meet Sakura at the cabin again in the foreseeable future, and it panged

him with grief as he walked around, searching for a new room. He would be subject to the same chakra

web he had been before, his freedom completely usurped.

The web was down for now, allowing those who had traveled here on foot from the old base to filter through.

The desire to leave was overwhelming, but he stayed put. There was an innocent child here, and regardless

of the cost to himself personally, he had to see this through.

Sometime today, he would be reported missing, and Sasuke would take his wife.

He wondered if he would be alive to see the child born, be there for Sakura as she birthed the baby he

would raise as his own. They would have to fall into bed quickly if it were to be called his, and though

Sakura had a clear distaste of his request, she knew there was only one way they could stay together in

the eyes of the clan without him there. He wanted there to be another way as well, but there wasn’t.

Itachi pushed the intrusive thoughts of his brother touching Sakura out of his mind.

_It is better to let go of some things to have others._

He found what amounted to a fairly private cell with a bed and a desk, a small washroom with a door,

and brought his meager belongings inside. Once it was clean enough and the blankets had been beaten

of their dust, he laid on it wishing for sleep.

He didn’t get it.

Orochimaru came in his room without knocking. Itachi sat up on the bed like a shot.

“Your wife has arrived impersonating my medic.”, he said, wringing his hands in a signal of irritation.

”Karin is nowhere to be found.”

_No. She can’t be here. This is a terrible place._

Itachi’s eyes widened in alarm, wondering what he could possibly do to diffuse the situation and get

Sakura out of here,”Let me speak to her. I will find your medic.”

A very familiar head of pink hair came into view behind Orochimaru, smirk in place and hands on hips.

”No need. She ran off to Konoha. I’m here to replace her.”

“He has an accomplished medic here already.”, he said, doing his best to radiate a cold demeanor towards her.

She flinched at his glare but recovered quickly,“Not as accomplished as me.”

Orochimaru tapped his chin, moderately amused by the spat he was witnessing,”Very well, for now you will

train with Kabuto in the morning. If either of you attempt to escape I’ll kill you both, and the child.”

Sakura swallowed but nodded, entering the room.

Itachi felt the web go up.They were both prisoners now.

Orochimaru closed the door after his eyes tracked along Sakura’s body.

He smirked. Tsunade would be furious, and that pleased him. He could gleam many of the Leaf’s medical

secrets from this woman’s tenure. Better, perhaps Kabuto’s attention could be diverted from his new viper

he seemed so fond of. The pinkette was certainly lovely and full of fire. He was fairly sure the Uchiha would

allow it to an extent. Kabuto being under Izumi’s spell made things more precarious for him as well.

She might even be able to help Kimimaro.

None of this made his plans unreachable, simply more complex and with a little more opportunity.

One day he could say goodbye to this base and everyone in it, never have to say goodbye to the ones he wanted.

It was closer than ever.

Tense silence filled Itachi's room as Sakura looked at her husband, waiting for him to say something.

He was definitely pissed off, afraid, confused. Finally he looked at her and spoke.

”Do you not want to be mine?”, he asked. “Is that why you’re here?”

Sakura took a breath, her lip trembling at the pain in his eyes at the question.

That he would take her arrival as a rejection did not cross her mind, but it should have.

She wasn’t going to Konoha to cement their marriage, after all. She was here.

“I will suffer much to remain yours and only yours.”, she said, mirroring his own words earlier to her at the cabin.

He stood and strode toward her then, stopping just in front of her and looking her over.

Just when Sakura was certain he would turn and walk away from her, he took another step and swept

her into his arms, holding her tightly.

“Foolish woman.”, he murmured, kissing the top of her head and nuzzling her affectionately.

Sakura smiled.

 


	31. Alliances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Konan speaks to Kakashi, Izuna gets a night out with Ino, Sasuke tries to repair things before it's too late.

Yahiko and Konan were having a peaceful meal together when the blue haired kunoichi sensed their

group fleeing southwest.

She jerked her head in the direction of the traveling members,”Time to go.”

Yahiko looked confused,“I thought we were waiting here for that Naruto kid?”

“Apparently there was a change of plans. They’re moving fast.”

It was half an hour before they caught up to them.

Konan noticed the clone on Deidara’s bird immediately.

“Why are you transporting a clone?”, she asked as she caught up to him.

The blonde nin looked back a moment, took out a kunai, and pierced the girl’s hand.

She poofed out of existence.

“Shit!”, Deidara cursed,”Better tell Nagato she gave us the slip. He’s gonna be pissed,Un.”

“Why did he take her?”, Yahiko inquired.

“She’s an Uchiha, said she was in the cave with her husband. He thinks she’s a spy.”

Konan’s lips pressed together in a firm line,“I’ve never seen an Uchiha with pink hair.

What does he expect to accomplish and where are we going?”

“Same as always.”, Deidara sighed,”He wants to find whoever gave him the eyes. He was taking her to

Konoha to see if she was really from there, like she said.”

Konan raised an eyebrow,”If she is?”

Deidara shrugged,”Then he’ll know the Leaf is up to something, is part of it.”

Konan frowned, looking to her lover,“Let me talk to him this time, Yahiko-kun.”

He nodded, and she sped up to get next to Nagato.

“Nagato,” she began softly. His eyes flicked to her. “Taking a hostage will not help you get the information you need.”

Nagato stared straight ahead again,”The Uchiha will not simply hand me information. I’ve only needed

leverage. Now they will..”

Konan cut him off,”She escaped.”

Nagato stopped in his tracks, Karin just behind him darting to a nearby branch to rest and wait.

Deidara circled above, not wanting to account for his failure just now.

Yahiko came to Nagato’s side, placing a hand on his friend’s shoulder,”Let’s think this through.”

The Rinnegan bearer dropped his head, regarding the grass beneath his feet with a haunted expression.

“Alright.”

 

* * *

* * *

 

Kakashi was enjoying some delightful microsleep when he heard the tapping at the window.

It was Itachi’s crow Rangou. He lifted his headband, allowing the bird to communicate with him via Sharingan.

Visions of their travels flashed before his eyes.

The Akatsuki had taken Sakura, they were headed this way with a medic from Sound.

“Peace loving mercenaries indeed.”, Kakashi mumbled to himself before calling for Shikamaru.

 

A few hours later, The Sixth stood at the gates, facing a somber blue haired woman and a blonde on what

looked like a bird made of clay. His voice rang with confident authority, power, and displeasure.

“Where is Sakura Uchiha?”

The blonde spoke first,”The little lady gave us the slip, Un.”

“Is that so?”, Kakashi said, signaling Pakkun to investigate the visitors.

The woman held no trace of Sakura, so the pug focused on the blonde boy.

“I can’t smell her blood on him,” said Pakkun,”Her presence with this nin is faded. They probably

lost contact a few hours ago.”

So very shortly after Rangou headed toward Konoha, Sakura had escaped.

The Hokage gave an eye crinkle and a light chuckle. That was good news.

“Thank you Pakkun.”

He turned to the two Akatsuki,”Why did you take her and where are the rest of you?”

“I would like to speak to you in person about that Hokage-sama.”, said the woman.

“Deidara will stay here and await my return.”

Kakashi nodded to his Anbu. Deidara felt a few more chakra signatures surround him as he watched Konan

walk off with the Rokudaime.

”Don’t take too long, ok? I don’t like sitting out here surrounded,Un.”, he called after her.

Konan met his eyes and nodded, turning once again to Hokage tower.

A man with dark eyes and a spiky ponytail on his head followed them.

Once they were in what appeared to be the Hokage’s office, Konan began immediately apologizing.

”I am afraid there has been some misunderstanding. We were expecting Jiraiya-sama and his student, but

the girl came instead and asked about a place that Nagato-kun has been searching for information on for years.”

“So this caused him to kidnap her?”, Kakashi asked wryly, shaking his head.

“She identified herself as an Uchiha, and they do not give information out easily. He thought perhaps..”

“I see.”, Kakashi interrupted, ”but this does put a bit of a damper on our relationship.”

Konan nodded,”I understand.” She rose and turned to go, “My apologies, Hokage-sama.”

“Don’t leave just yet.”, the Sixth commanded.”What does he want from the Uchiha?”

Konan considered the situation. Nagato would get what he wanted by force or cooperation. If there was

any chance of doing this peaceably, the truth would need to be said. She decided to give the easy way a

chance, unsure how much longer she could keep Nagato at bay.“He grew up thinking the Rinnegan was his

by birth, never questioning it, until we met Karin-san.She is a sensor who encountered the cave he wants to

know about, said the chakra in his eyes did not match his own and that she had come upon the original signal

once there. We attempted entry, but failed.”

“Even with the Rinnegan?”, Kakashi asked, wondering how the most advanced eye would fail the task.

“It seemed the cave was designed to keep him out specifically.”, she replied.

“Is that all?”, the Copy nin inquired, thinking it probably wasn’t. This Uchiha cave began to ring bells for him.

The mission Itachi and Sakura went on and nearly didn’t return from, perhaps?

“Later, we returned to find only rubble and plant clone corpses. Karin-san could no longer sense the remains

she had connected with his eyes. We believe the Uchiha retrieved the evidence Nagato-kun needs to

understand what happened to him and why.”

“Considering the gift he was given, I can see the importance.”, Kakashi said, leaning back in his chair.

“How can I help?”

Konan let go of a breath she didn’t realize she was holding.”Will the Uchiha help us?”

Kakashi shrugged,”Only one way to find out. In the meantime, Shikamaru?”

“Hm?”,

“Where are Lord Jiraiya and Naruto?”

* * *

* * *

 

When Konan and Deidara returned to the camp Nagato, Karin, and Yahiko had settled into, she told

her old friend about her conversation with the Rokudaime.

“So he has asked the Uchiha to cooperate?”

“Yes.”, she responded, cringing at his expression of remorse for his earlier actions at this news.

Yahiko wanted confirmation, unable to help thinking of his beautiful woman all to himself behind closed

doors with running water. It had been too long,“He invited us to stay within Konoha while they consider the request?”

She smirked invitingly at him, knowing his thoughts,”Yes.”

Yahiko stood and began packing,”Let’s go.”

Nagato frowned,”The Hokage has forgiven me too easily.”

Konan frowned as well,”Actually, Nagato-kun, he said it’s Naruto you will need to earn the forgiveness of.”

Nagato’s eyebrows raised in surprise,”My cousin?”

She nodded,”He considers her his best friend, and he is very protective of her according to the Hokage.”

She swallowed before saying the rest,”The Rokudaime said if you take the beating from him and don’t fight

back, he won’t consider you a threat to Konoha.”

“This Hokage’s a sadist!”, Yahiko exclaimed.

Konan agreed silently, recalling the look of mischievous glee on the man’s face when he said it.

* * *

* * *

 

Izuna woke inside the Uchiha mansion, dressing quickly and making herself scarce.

Last night had been a disaster, but a necessary one. Being drilled by Fugaku was unnerving.

She much preferred Ino interrogating her, sensing that Fugaku might be able to breach her defenses.

Izuna knocked on Ino’s door, blinking in surprise that her cousin opened it in only her undergarments.

“Come in.”, the blonde mumbled, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

“I’m sorry to bother you Ino-san, but I couldn’t stay cooped up inside that house.”, she said truthfully.

”If I make you breakfast, can I stay here today?”

Ino perked up at that,”Sounds great. Sure.” She went into the kitchen, showing Izuna around.

Once she’d made herself a cup of coffee she excused herself to the bedroom once more as Izuna

assembled the items for a decent breakfast for her host.

Twenty minutes later, when breakfast was nearly ready, she heard sounds from her cousin’s bedroom

that made her blush.

“Ride that big cock baby.”, she heard a male say encouragingly.

Then Ino exclaiming,”Oh fuck you feel so good! Bite me harder!”

Izuna well remembered the first time she had been on top. Saitku had clutched her once she sank all the

way down, pressing her completely against him and curling his head into her neck.He loved the intimacy

of the position, and often when he looked at her with eyes brimming with the deepest love, he would ask it

of her so they could be as close as possible.

This sounded….a little more on the desperate animalistic side. Not that there was anything wrong with that.

It was a good part of any relationship, too. It just reminded her that she was unlikely to find that kind of love

again. Suddenly, she wanted to be anywhere but here. She couldn’t just wander through town, didn’t know

anyone else yet but Shisui.There was nowhere else safe for her to go where Fugaku and Sasuke wouldn’t

corner her. She didn’t plan on hiding forever. She just wanted a little break from everything she’d been through

lately, and being with the family that was lying to each other and reeling with a member’s absence -that was

at least partly her fault- was too much just now. She waited on the balcony until Ino opened the sliding glass door.

“Sorry about that.”, Ino said, not sounding sorry at all.”Sai is insatiable.”

“Hn.”

The blonde’s face suddenly brightened,”Hey! Wanna go out with me tonight?”

Izuna furrowed her brow,”I’m not sure I should.”

Ino wiggled her eyebrows suggestively,”Shisui will be there, he’s super hot and I bet he would be into you.”

Izuna decided not to comment on that, having felt Shisui’s eyes on her and not wanting to give the Yamanaka

any encouragement to set them up. Shisui was a dear friend, she was likely pregnant with Orochimaru’s child,

and she would not saddle him with that, super hot or not.

“I have nothing to wear.”, she said instead, hoping that would be the end of it.

The blonde smiled,”Perfect! I bet I’ve got something that would work for you. There’s a couple of things I

got for Sakura to wear that she won’t, and you guys have a similar build.”

Not wanting to be rude and out of excuses, Izuna replied,”Thank you. That would be lovely.”

Once the sun went down they were ready to go to the bar.

Izuna looked at the strappy heels and the skirt that barely reached mid thigh in mild horror.

Worse, if she did anything but sit with perfect posture, her mild cleavage would be easily seen by anyone

within a few feet of her.Her parents would be rolling in their graves if they could see her right now.

Her husband would never have let her outdoors like this unless he was right next to her.

Thankfully, her hair was long enough to cover her near nudity from most of the eyes that might float

her way. She would never, ever accept this invitation again. Lesson learned.

* * *

* * *

 

Even after all of the turmoil last night, Izuna hadn’t said two words to him this morning before she left

for the Yamanaka girl’s house. Sasuke sat waiting for a long while for her to return so they could talk,

but she didn’t. Finally, as the sun dipped down towards the earth, he lost his patience.

He stood and paced around the kitchen until he gave in and went to look for her.

Sai opened the door to Ino’s apartment when he knocked, wearing an apron of all things, and greeted

him as usual,“Hello, cheater. How can I help you?”

At least his nickname wasn’t dickless.

“Have you seen Izuna?”, Sasuke asked, well prepared for the insult.

Sai stared blankly at him,”Yes. Is that all?”

Sasuke grit his teeth. Sai was a formidable shinobi. There was no way he could be this stupid.

He had to be fucking with him.

“I’m looking for her. Where is she?”

“At the bar with beautiful and dickless for ladies night. Ino forced dickless to come for being a tattletale,

and Beautiful says Izuna-san seems like she needs a regular man”, Sai replied.

“Hn.”, Sasuke said, turning to go.

He heard the door shut behind him, a clattering in the kitchen as he walked away.

Sasuke stepped silently along the streets of Konoha, ruminating.

This was a terrible idea. He was sure he’d be rejected.

Worse, Izuna was with _Ino_ of all people. He wondered how long it would be before he could walk through

Konoha without hearing giggles behind his back after this.He couldn’t exactly disappear on long missions,either.

He was the only Uchiha hier left, officially, by tomorrow night.

If he had to trade possible humiliation and ridicule to raise his child and keep Sakura from murdering

him, it was worth it, and he would never forgive himself if he didn’t try.

As for Itachi needing his help, he would buy every second he could to find a cure, and could not bear

to think of it beyond that. His heart would have shattered in the same position.

Much like Sakura’s had. He could only do his best to fix things now.

Picturing the gratitude on Sakura’s face when she realized he’d at least _tried_ to save her, he paused in

front of the bar, sighed in resignation at his future public shame, and made his way inside.

The music thumped  loud in his ears. Naruto was here, drinking with Jiraiya and two redheaded

people he’d never seen before. He looked too drunk and engaged with the others to notice him.

Ino was easily found, clad in what he thought to be a trashy teal mini skirt and white halter top.

Not for the first time, he wondered how she and Sakura became such good friends.

They were so different in almost every way but their competitive spirit.

He scanned the establishment for a pretty but demure woman with long dark hair.

Izuna seemed nowhere nearby.

Shisui was sitting at the bar with someone he couldn’t recognize.Her long black hair hid her face but

her slitted skirt and crossed lean legs were a deliberate tease to the eyes. Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief.

Shisui’s eyes had glanced fitfully over Izuna whenever she looked elsewhere on the way home, his touches

lingering a bit too long to just be friendly. He wondered if Shisui would attack him again for what he was

about to do, but it had just been harmless on his cousin’s part.

Whatever his interest was, it had not deterred him from pursuing another bedfellow tonight.

Not that she couldn’t have whoever she wanted in her bed if she said yes, but he could tell Shisui was

tiring of bachelor life and wanted to settle down.Sasuke walked over, asking Shisui loud enough to carry

over the music,”Have you seen Izuna?”

The girl answered him instead,pulling her curtain of hair away so he could see her face and how little of

her was covered.

”I’m right here, Sasuke-san.”

Sasuke quickly averted his eyes. This was a horrible time to ogle her, and no matter how blatantly sexy

she looked or how much soft skin was showing he refused to be drawn in by it.

“Can I speak to you outside? It’s very important.”

  



	32. Father Knows Best

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fugaku gets some bad news, Sasuke makes a request, Izuna tells a secret and loses a battle of wits.  
> Itachi and Sakura enjoy falling asleep and waking up in the same space.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Figured I'd put this one out there because I'll be taking a break for a week or so. Thank you for reading!

Mikoto put on the nightgown that always had her husband give her the softest looks.

She waited an hour after he arrived, made sure he ate well and was relaxed with a drink in his hand,

one he planned on finishing. She shut all the windows and blinds, sealing the room.

This was the routine when there was especially bad news.

She would wait for him to ask for it, when he was ready.

“What is it?”, Fugaku spoke in the warmth of the room, fixing his gaze on her.

“Sasuke wants your permission to marry Izuna.”, she said.

Fugaku watched the flames in the fireplace a while.

“She’s half Yamanaka.”, he replied, sipping his drink. _No._

“Do you want Itachi to marry her then?”, she asked.

“Itachi is not the father of Izumi’s child.”, Fugaku answered.

“He will say he is.”, Mikoto replied.

Fugaku shook his head, put down his drink,“He will not. I’ve spoken to him about it already.”

Mikoto took a deep breath. Sasuke had left to find Izuna. Now was the best time.

_I’m sorry Sasuke. I tried._

“Sasuke told me the child is his. Sakura-chan confirmed it.”, she said quickly, falling silent then and

waiting for his reply.

Her husband looked at her, scanning her face for the slightest hint of insincerity. He found none.

Fugaku waited long enough for the fire to need another log. He got up to put one in, then turned to his wife.

“The elders will overthrow us if they know. I’ll marry them in the morning.”

He then promptly entered his side of the bed, rolled over, and closed his eyes.

Mikoto knew better than to disturb him further, but her heart went out to him.

For his sons, he would lie to those who gave him power, knowing if it came to light, most of what he’d worked

for would be gone. As a father, he feared for both of them, wondered where exactly he went wrong with Sasuke

and hoped Itachi was safe. As a husband, he knew his youngest son wasn’t as ready for marriage as he thought

he was, and could not find it within him to deprive his beloved wife of her grandchild.

Though it was early, Mikoto laid down to sleep as well, in a silent show of support.

* * *

* * *

 

Izuna followed Sasuke out of the bar, the light from the streetlights highlighting his noble features.

He looked upset and nervous, which made it hard for Izuna to be as cross with him as she wished.

He stopped in an alley where only the moonlight could touch him, shoved his hands in his pockets,

brought his eyes to hers.

“Well?”, Izuna asked, finding it hard to meet his gaze and not feel like blushing.

_No one should be that beautiful. It’s unfair._

After he took a breath, his deep voice said the strangest thing.

”I need you to marry me. Will you?”

Izuna was speechless for a few moments, watching Sasuke become more and more uncomfortable

without a response. She needed to say _something._

“Are you insane?”, she asked, eyes wide.

The young man seemed to relax a little at that, a small smirk appearing.

“At least you aren’t.”, he replied,”other than thinking you can take my child from me.”

_So that’s what this was about?_

“I did not know you wanted it.”, Izuna replied, indignant. “You sent my sister away.”

The young man’s brows furrowed in anger,”Whatever you think I am, you’re not _entirely_ right.”

Izuna activated her sharingan in response, jutting her chin towards him defiantly.

”Are you sure you want a wife you can’t lie to?”

Different Uchiha’s had different Sharingan abilities, even differing in each eye sometimes.

Sasuke had to admit being intrigued with this one. She could sense lies?

He shrugged, having no intention of deceiving her in the first place,“Ask me anything.”

“Did you love my sister?”

His answer came too fast,“No.”

Izuna pressed her lips together in thought, then,“Do you love another?”

Sasuke had an intense urge to balk at her question, but tamped it down.

_Now is not the time to be difficult. You need her help. Just say it and get it over with._

”Yes, but I can’t have her. I hurt her and she….belongs to someone else now.”

_Hmmm. There was something there..,_ the Uchiha woman thought. _  
_

Izuna placed one hand on her hip,“Who is she?”

Sasuke was silent a long time. Then,”Sakura Uchiha, my brother’s wife.”

Izuna’s red eyes narrowed,“Did you get my sister pregnant and send her away so your brother’s wife

would become yours?”

Sasuke was clearly disgusted at this accusation.”I would never do that!”, he seethed.“I love them both,

want them to be happy together. I don’t want Itachi to suffer like I have!”

Sasuke calmed down a bit, voice still tight with anxiety,“If we marry I can raise my child, that’s all I want

out of it. Whatever else you do, if you are discreet about it, I don’t mind.”

Izuna knew he was not being entirely honest about that being all he wanted out of it, but meant what he said

about her doing as she wished and wanting to raise his child.

She decided to shut him down until he could tell the whole truth.

“I am not that kind of woman.”, Izuna answered back,"I don’t condone infidelity.”

Sasuke wasn’t entirely sure what to make of that statement.

Surely she didn’t mean they could sleep together? No, that was not a train of thought he should have while

she's standing a foot away half naked. She wouldn’t even let his hand help her up, much less anything

more intimate. She wouldn't, and if she wouldn't then that meant...

“You expect me to be celibate?”, Sasuke asked, eyes wide.

Izuna stifled the urge to laugh at his nearly comic horror at this suggestion.

At least he could be funny, even if he didn’t mean to be.

“I never said I would marry you.”, she said, turning to go so her smirk could be hidden.

Sasuke put out a hand to place on her shoulder to stop her, then thought better of it.

“Wait!”

Izuna reluctantly turned to face him.

“They will declare my brother missing by tomorrow night. If we aren’t married by then..”

Sasuke trailed off, hoping she would understand. She seemed of quick wit.

After a few moments, Izuna understood why he had come here tonight.This _was_ about even more than the child.

“Then your brother’s wife will become yours. If you are already married and proving the first, then she

remains untouched until Itachi-san returns.”

Sasuke nodded,”Hn.”

So despite loving the girl, he was willing to stay away from her, protect her from the consequences he wrought.

He did not intend to abandon his child either it would seem. There was one problem with that theory though.

“Why did you let Itachi-san go in your stead?”, she asked.

“I was still unconscious. He even put Sakura out so he could leave.”, Sasuke dipped his head then, staring at

the pavement,”I wanted to go after him. Sakura asked me to stay here and out of the way.”

Izuna frowned. He really _wasn’t_ what she thought he was, not like Izumi at all.

Still a fool, a very handsome one, but not evilly destructive.

“I am not willing to bear children for you.”, she said, knowing he could not expect that of her, especially not now..

Sasuke shook his head,”I’m not asking you to. I promised not to touch you and I still won’t.”

So this would be for show then, as a stall. Izuna deactivated her sharingan.

He was telling the truth.

Ino’s voice could be heard, calling for her.

”I have to go. We will speak of this tomorrow, Sasuke-san.”

Sasuke made a noise of assent and walked slowly away into the darkness.

When she returned with Ino, Shisui greeted her with open arms and a gorgeous smile.

“Dance with me?”

* * *

* * *

 

Mikoto was sound asleep now, unlikely to wake if he left the bed this time.

Fugaku could not sleep, was sick to his stomach with worry for his family, his clan.

He went downstairs, made himself some tea.

He needed answers. Something about all of this just didn’t add up.

When the head of the Uchiha felt his youngest son return home, he met him at the door.

Sasuke took one look at his father and realized he knew.

“Where were you?”, Fugaku seethed.

His son swallowed,”Asking Izuna to marry me.”

Some of the tension in his father’s shoulders went away, but not nearly enough for Sasuke’s liking.

“What was her answer?”, Fugaku asked.

The younger Uchiha forced himself to look in his father’s eyes.

”She said we’ll talk about it in the morning.”

Fugaku shook his head,”Go to bed Sasuke. I’ll wait up for her.”

“Father..”

“She is not your wife yet, Sasuke. I am still your father”, Fugaku firmly warned,”Go to bed.”

Sasuke reluctantly nodded, making his way upstairs and to his room.

* * *

* * *

Going out with Ino turned out to be a lot of fun. It became quite clear throughout the night that Shisui

was interested in her, and it would be something she would consider, but she could not put this type of

burden on him. Izuna ached to tell him why. For the first time in her life, she had a secret she couldn’t contain.

They passed near his house on their way through the compound. Izuna stopped and drew him close.

She rested her forehead on his firm chest,”Shisui-san, I think you’re a wonderful man, but right now I need

a friend more than anything. There’s something I need to tell someone. Can I trust you?”

“You want me to keep a secret for you?”, he asked, stroking her hair.

She looked up into his eyes and nodded.

“Let’s go inside.”, he said, opening his door and ushering her into his living room.

They removed their shoes and settled on the couch.

Shisui gathered Izuna in his arms and she curled into him, clutching his shirt.

She nodded to herself. It was time to tell.

“Orochimaru impregnated me.”, she blurted out.

After a long period of silence, Shisui asked her gently,”Will you keep it, Izuna-chan?”

“Yes.”, she replied without hesitation.

“Does Sasuke know, is that what he wanted to talk to you about?”

“He asked me to marry him”, she replied,”only to keep his brother’s wife out of his hands and to raise

his child within a family.”

Shisui’s eyebrows hit his hairline,”I’m surprised.”, he said.”Sounds like something Itachi would do.”

“Hmm.”, Izuna agreed.

Shisui couldn’t help himself, if there was any chance at all he wanted to know,”Did he say you could..”

Izuna pulled away, giving him a chiding glare,”Of course he did.”

“Oh.”, Shisui mumbled, caught outright and a little ashamed at his lack of tact.

“Do you want to have an affair with me?”, she teased.”Is that why you ask?”

Cheered by her saying it outright, Shisui gave her a devastating grin.

”Do you think I would refuse you?”

She swatted his arm playfully, wondering if coming in here was a good idea after all.

Shisui reeled himself in. As tempting as it was to tease her and make her cheeks pink,this wasn’t the time.

“So what are you going to do?”, he asked her.

It was crazy, but it felt like justice.

“Probably give him what he wants, but he’ll need to claim my child as his. He’s promised not to touch me,

but we can raise them together if he agrees.”

“My Uncle will know.”, Shisui warned.

“As he should.”, Izuna said.”Is he not clanhead to protect and care for us even in our missteps?”

Shisui nodded,”He is.” He dragged the slight girl back into his arms, giving her a squeeze that made her

squeal,”Come on. Let’s get you home.”

The walk home was lovely, talking and laughing of old times. Once she made it inside, she shut the door

quietly, removed her shoes.

“Come sit with me.”, Fugaku’s stern voice said from the kitchen table.

Izuna cringed inside but stepped towards the table and faced the scowling man as she pulled out her

own chair and sat down.

“My son says he proposed to you. What is your answer?”

Izuna kept her voice steady,”I would like to speak to him again before I give my answer.”

Fugaku folded his arms over his chest,”I hope you realize my son is nothing like your late husband.”

“I’m well aware.”, she acknowledged. “I understand why this is necessary.”

Fugaku gave an answering grunt.”It isn’t necessary for _you_. Why would you consider it?”

_Smart man_ , Izuna thought.”I would like to speak to Sasuke-san about it.”, she tried.

The clan leader shook his head,“Speak to me.”

Somehow, Fugaku had learned a whole lot while she was gone. He also suspected her of infiltration,

which Izuna could admit he would be a fool not to. Best not to lie now.

“I’m pregnant.”, she said after a long silence.

Fugaku unfolded his arms, placing his palms on the table.”Who’s child is it?”

When she refused to answer him, his sharingan spun to life.

She felt her mind opening to him, answered before he could find more than the answer to his question.

”Orochimaru.”

His eyes returned to black, focused on the wood of the table before him. He believed her.

“You intend to keep the child?”, he asked, a hint of incredulity in his voice,”To use your marriage to

_my son_ to pass it off as an Uchiha?”

Izuna nodded, more afraid of being caught in a lie than risking his anger now.

Fugaku got up and paced.”Sasuke can give you another, Izuna-san. You need not keep this one.”

Izuna shook her head,“I have already lost a child. I won’t give away another.”

“Our line will be further diluted.” Fugaku said, voice becoming louder now.”I already have to accept a

grandchild who is part Yamanaka!”

Izuna stood, losing her temper,”Sasuke-san’s child is not diluted, and it is the first, the heir!”

Truly, telling him now would only help her cause, let her child have a home.

Fugaku stared at her, letting her words sink in.”How?”, he asked.

Izuna breathed out steadying herself,“Izumi’s father is Madara Uchiha.”

Or so she thought.

Fugaku’s eyes gleamed red again, a rivulet of blood running from their corners. Izuna fell to the ground

under the power of them, caught emotional and unguarded, as he explored her memories.

* * *

* * *

 

Itachi watched his lovely wife sleep, her soft lips puffing warmth into his shoulder, one beautiful leg slung

over his. Even in this place, contentment flew through him, settling in his bones and drawing a deep breath of

relief from his lungs. He could get through this with her.

He trailed his fingers softly along her forearm, watching her twitch in response as she dreamed.

Knowing he needed rest did not stop his brain from refusing to do anything but think of where he could

touch her next, but she was tired, and he needed to just leave it be.

They had plenty of time now.

He pressed a kiss to her cheek, laid his head back down, and closed his eyes to dream with her.

 

The next time Itachi was roused from sleep, Sakura was wide awake, hands curiously inspecting him.

Wondering what she was up to and not wanting to interrupt her, he kept his eyes closed and feigned

sleep. Her hand crept under his shirt, brushing the lines of his abdominals, her other hand tracing the

lines in his thigh

He wanted to see her expression.

Was she cautiously observing his face, looking for signs of his waking so she wasn’t caught?

Were her green eyes swimming with want? Was she simply innocently exploring him?

The hand caressing his stomach lifted his shirt higher to expose more skin, all the way to his pecks.

Now he _really_ wanted to know, the temptation to open his eyes raging at him.

He felt her warm mouth on his nipple, her small pink tongue circling it before softly scraping her teeth

across it, a sensation that went straight to his cock.

He moaned softly in response, his hand on her waist tightening.

Her pretty mouth gave the same treatment to his other nipple next before she said,”Go back to sleep

Itachi-kun. Let me play a little more.”

Itachi immediately discarded the idea that she actually wanted him to slumber again.

With the erection she was currently encouraging, that would be impossible now anyway.

She wanted him to pretend, so she could explore him. Like a game.

Itachi decided he indeed liked being married very much.

  



	33. Dawn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi introduces Shisui to Nagato. Izuna gets a seal, Itachi learns he might be the victim of one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again everyone! Thanks for reading.

Shisui was called in to the Hokage’s office at first light. 

He arrived at the front entrance, deciding against a window entry this time, and knocked on the doors.

Kakashi himself opened them. Shisui saw a lone man with nearly shoulder length burgundy hair, his 

back turned to him.

“Good morning Shisui-san.”, the Sixth greeted.

“Hokage-sama.”, Shisui acknowledged, following Kakashi inside, choosing to stand as the village leader

seated himself at his desk. The Copy ninja tilted his head to his other guest,“This is Nagato Uzumaki. He 

has some questions for your uncle, and I was wondering if we could arrange an audience with him.”

The man did not acknowledge him personally or turn to greet him.

Shisui raised an eyebrow at Kakashi. The Copy nin motioned for him to approach.

“Hello Nagato-san.”, the Uchiha began, walking around him to meet face to face.

Nagato raised his eyes to view Shisui without the dark glasses he’d been wearing last night, and it took

a great deal of effort not to react to what he saw. “How did this happen?”, Shisui asked, glad his voice 

came out even enough.“That is why I came.”, the soft spoken man returned,”I don’t know.”

Shisui stared for a moment before he spoke again,”I think Fugaku-sama would be very interested to

know about this. I’ll arrange it with him and report back right away.”

Nagato nodded,“Thank you, Uchiha-san. Also, two of my comrades are looking for a member of your 

clan. I believe her name is Izuna, and they are anxious to check on her well being.”

Shisui gave a curt nod in return before turning to Kakashi again,“Is that all?”

The Copy nin clasped his hands and leaned forward on the desk,“Not quite. They ran into Sakura-chan 

after she and Itachi intercepted their friend, another Uzumaki, a medic from sound. Our guests captured

her, but Sakura escaped not far from where they met up. Two Anbu saw that same medic traveling with 

a large group headed north, from Sound. It had to be Sakura in disguise.”

Nagato spoke up,”Her husband is a prisoner there?”

“More or less.”, Kakashi answered, looking to Shisui. “I’ve put it off as long as I can. I’ll have to declare 

the three of them missing today. I’ll be making my report at noon.”

Shisui wanted to grin. Sakura had found him and he had misjudged her. His friend would be coming home,

would stay alive no matter what to make sure she made it back to Konoha.

“Understood, Hokage-sama.”

Kakashi nodded,”You’re dismissed.”

Shisui ran to the main house as fast as his feet could carry him.

* * *

* * *

 

Lady Mayoki looked at her latest patient with pity, watching her wake. Fugaku-sama had brought her

here in the dead of night, demanding a fidelity seal for his son’s new wife.

The girl had been reluctant, rebellious even. She claimed a pregnancy, but there was none.

Then the clan leader said something rather odd,”I know, Izuna-san, things you’ve kept hidden that would set you to burn.”

The girl curled in on herself, looking ashamed,”I apologize, Fugaku-sama.”

The older man scowled,“That is not enough.”

She nodded,”I know.”

Fugaku’s black eyes pierced the young lady’s,“This will repay it, and do not act as if it’s too much. I 

know who you wanted to be there when you submitted yourself.”

The girl paled, though she seemed to expect as much, hiding her face beneath her hair.

The elder Uchiha regarded Lady Mayoki,”I expect your silence on this matter.”

“Hai.”, the elder Hyuuga promised.

Then he looked back to the girl,”Yours as well.”

”Yes, Fugaku-sama.”

It certainly wasn’t the first time Mayoki had seen a reluctant clan marriage, and it surely wouldn’t be

the last. She had worn her own seal for more than 50 years now.

* * *

* * *

 

Itachi squeezed his eyes shut, stifling a moan and trembling with impatience, fingers tangled in pink locks.

Sakura had taken her game quite seriously, touching every square inch of him and driving him to the edge,

pulling him back just before he fell over more than once. Her tongue had explored him for what felt like

hours before her hot mouth swallowed his cock again, never giving him quite enough to give the release

he was aching for. This was too great an exercise in endurance. It was time to take control.

In a fluid motion so fast it disoriented Sakura, Itachi sat up and lifted her, flipped her on her back.

Her husband had a determined and rather eager look on his face, nudging her legs open with his own 

and pinning her wrists. He grunted at her when she tried to sit up.  

Sakura laid back down, smiling beautifully at him.

She had purposely teased him to this point, wanting him ravenous for her.

_ Two can play that game. _

As badly as Itachi wanted her now, he was going to deal her some teasing too. 

He wouldn't stop until she was begging and sobbing for him to..

 

**KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK.**

 

Sakura closed her eyes in anguish.

She’d made him nearly mad with lust and now someone was at the door.

"I'm sorry!", she whispered.

Itachi shook his head.They were  _ not _ stopping now. 

He looked down at her luscious sex, glistening with a desire of her own. Gods, she was beautiful.  


_ New plan. _

"We are still getting ready. It will be a moment.", he called to whoever was behind the door.

Then Sakura was gasping as her beloved husband brought her bare legs over his shoulders and slammed

his cock into her, swift and hard, clamping one hand over her mouth. Itachi pushed inside her slick heat

desperately, biting his own lip so as not to cry out. Sakura did her best to keep quiet, gripping the bars on

the headboard to brace herself and push back. Her eyes wanted to roll back at the feel of him, hot and throbbing

so deeply within her, but she couldn't bear looking away. HIs eyes were greedily taking her in as her body shook 

with his pounding thrusts, his well trained muscles strung taught, a sheen of sweat making his pale skin glisten. 

His lidded eyes shone at her, lips parted now.

His eyes said it, _ I love you Sakura _

Hers said it back, kissed the palm over her lips.

Itachi soon abandoned silencing her, needing to hear the moans that had haunted him while they were apart, 

making it clear to everyone within earshot who she belonged to. He thumbed her pearl, watching her flush, 

grinding into her heat after each thrust, reveling in her increasingly helpless cries and the feel of her quivering around him. 

She would lose herself soon.

He gripped her small waist with both hands and slid his length within her over and over.Their bodies rapidly 

slapped together, things Itachi never thought he’d say spilling through his gritted teeth as he drove into a spot that made 

Sakura’s toes curl and heat threaten to explode inside her.

“Come for me Sakura.”, he pleaded, hanging by a thread.

“Itaci-ku-ah!”

At her cry he grunted, leaned over and bit her shoulder, folding her nearly in half as she wound tightly around him.

A deep, pleasured groan came from him as his thrusts faltered and he filled her with his hot seed. 

After a few moments, Itachi withdrew and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her.

“Thank Kami.”, he said once he fully caught his breath. 

He patted his wife’s perfect behind,”Time to get up.”

Sakura pouted at him and he lifted a teasing brow, “That’s what you get for torturing me so long.”

“You hardly minded!”, she grumped, not wanting to do anything but be right where she was.

He nodded, smirking, moving strands of hair that obscured her lovely face behind her ear gently.

“Only until I thought I would go without having you all day, wanting you more than I wanted breath.”

Sakura’s heart melted at this. She kissed his nose and got up, wobbling to the shower.

Itachi got dressed quickly but waited until she was decent to leave, worried to leave her bare and alone

in this place, fearsome kunoichi or not.

Orochimaru stood on the other side of the door when he opened it, appearing perfectly patient.

“Kabuto will be retrieving our new medic shortly. Come, you will train with me today.”

Itachi followed the Sannin down what appeared to be an endless corridor.

“It is curious that you would attempt to protect  _ two _ pregnant women here, Itachi-kun.”

The Uchiha’s cheeks burned with indignation that the Sannin knew what he and Sakura had been up to, 

stood there listening, and was shameless and rude enough to  _ mention _ it. 

He stayed silent, giving only a small tilt of his head in response.

“I realize she is a medic, of course,”, the Snake Sannin continued, yellow eyes absorbing the state of his

guest,”but she is ovulating and you are technically among enemies.”

Orochimaru knowing something like that about Sakura vexed Itachi.

“It is none of your concern.Do you not have your own coming child among enemies?”

Orochimaru nodded,“Whenever Izuna finds a new lover, yes.”

Itachi furrowed his brow in confusion,“What do you mean?”

“When I was young, I fell ill. I was given what I thought was a treatment, but also included a hidden seal

of Senju origin. It prevented me from ever really having children of my own.”

Itachi was silent, so Orochimaru went on.”I felt for someone, eventually removed the seal myself, but

my genetics had been altered from all the years I had it. My research came a long way, but not far enough.

I discovered a jutsu that allowed most of my undisturbed genes to be copied, but two complete sets unrelated 

to me must also be present for a favorable result.”

“Hn.” Itachi said, pretending to focus on the hallway in front of him as they walked.

”How many of these children do you have?”, he asked.

Orochimaru smirked,“Many, Itachi-kun.”

“Do you not wonder where they are?”

Orochimaru shrugged,“I suppose they are mostly with the families that believe they alone birthed them.”

Itachi scoffed,“Did your hosts not realize they were taken against their will?”

The Sannin waved his hand dismissively at the Uchiha’s ire.“I took Izuna because I wanted to, not because 

I had to. She promised, and is a woman of her word. Though I am not against forcible breeding if necessary, 

I will do my best to avoid it at all costs, and I am plenty capable of being persuasive. I’ve never lacked willing 

company, and sex is not required for the jutsu to work.”

Itachi could certainly agree with the persuasive part. The Sannin was doing a good job making him wonder

if his own condition was purposely engineered and how, if this was a lie, Orochimaru knew he would be

vulnerable to this type of ploy. That it was a coincidence was very unlikely.

He wondered if he should discuss this with Sakura or keep it to himself for now. 

His father had refused to allow the treatment he underwent to begin with, finding the situation suspect. 

For a long time he had considered his father a bit paranoid and prejudiced about such things.

But lately, over and over, he was finding how right he often was.

* * *

* * *

Sakura’s first day at work in Sound convinced her she made the right decision.

Kabuto was a piece of shit for allowing people under his care to go on this way.

People were suffering here. She could make an enormous difference, find out things

her Shisou couldn’t have taught her.

Not to mention make absolutely  _ sure _ that baby made it out of here alive to Konoha.

They had a living, though very ill, member of the Kaguya clan here.The only one remaining, she was told.

The gentle man she had walked most of the way here with was essential in Orochimaru’s cursed seals, and 

Sakura thought she might be able to study him and find a way to reverse them.So many possibilities were here, 

things that could put Konoha much farther ahead in so many ways, unlock so many mysteries.

She was excited to tell Itachi everything about the people she’d encountered and the studies she had ahead 

of her, but when she came back to their room, her words died in her throat.

Her husband’s eyes were glowing brightly, an expression of repressed rage on his face.

“Sakura, check me for seals.”

* * *

* * *

Orochimaru entered Kabuto’s lab wearing a sly smile, hands clasped and steepled.

“Kabuto-kun, it seems your information on the Uchiha heir is correct. I just wanted to thank you.”

The silver haired medic smirked,”They should have told him. What did you say?”

“That I fell ill, discovered the seal and removed it on my own, but my genes were damaged by then.

I explained the exogenesis jutsu.”

“Think he’ll believe you?”

“If he hadn’t fallen for the girl, no. Now, we’ll just have to see. There’s plenty of ways to disillusion a loyal man. 

He’s a strong shinobi, but weak for her.”


	34. Adventures in Matrimony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first week of Sasuke's marriage is pretty rocky.

Mikoto awoke  before the sun had fully risen to find her bed otherwise empty.

She sat up and stretched, then set out to find her husband.

Downstairs she heard two boys talking in her kitchen, one of them happily raiding her refrigerator.

Stopping in the hallway to do some motherly eavesdropping, she listened in.

“She’s pretty cute. Shisui is gonna be pissed. He was all over her last night.”

Sasuke sounded irritated as he replied to his blonde friend,”This is only because she has more right

to my child than I do. If she wants him, she can have him.”

“She seems really nice.”, Naruto said, chewing something as he spoke.

“Hn.”

“Legs for days..”, the blonde teased.

Sasuke had also, unfortunately, noticed,“Shut up Dobe. You come bumbling through my window to wake

me for company, eat our food because you’re too lazy to go shopping. If anyone needs a wife, it’s _you_.” 

“You’re right.”, Mikoto could hear the mischief in Naruto’s voice,”What you need is another box of tissues.

You’ll be sleeping in the same bed with her.”

Sasuke made a dismissive noise in the back of his throat, doing his best to ignore the taunt.

Naruto pushed in his goading,“What if she sleeps naked?”

Mikoto decided she did not want to clean up after a fight in her kitchen no matter how amusing the banter 

was.”Sasuke, have you seen your father?”, she asked from the hallway.

Both boys stood stock still, Mikoto hearing a muttered,”Idiot.” from her youngest before he answered her.

“Father and Izuna haven’t been here since I woke up. I was going to ask you.”

“Did you talk to him last night?”

“Briefly.”, Sasuke’s voice betrayed some tension about the exchange,”He wanted to talk to her himself.” 

Mikoto walked into the kitchen, needing to see Sasuke’s expression. He held out a piece of parchment 

as she approached him.

”He left this.”

Mikoto took the piece of paper from him. It was a declaration of marriage. She breathed in relief.

It was done. Fugaku was probably presenting her to the elders then, advising them that Itachi was missing

and that Sasuke has taken over the position of heir. Hopefully Sakura-chan will come home soon, so

they could take care of the  _ other  _ matters.

There was a brief knock on the patio door before it slid open. Shisui seemed out of breath.

“Guys, I have news.Where’s uncle?”

“Gone, with Izuna-san.”, Mikoto replied, handing Shisui the declaration and noting Sasuke turned his 

face away as she did, studying the tile on the floor guiltily. Mikoto flinched at the sting of disappointment

in Shisui’s eyes, quickly discovering the reason for Sasuke’s expression, but he only nodded and placed 

the declaration back into her hands.

“Kakashi is declaring all three of them missing at noon.”

“What do you mean three?”, Naruto asked,”Who’s the third?”

Shisui seemed confused, “You were drinking last night with the guys who kidnapped Sakura-chan. 

How could you not know?”

“What?!”, Naruto exclaimed. 

Sasuke was clearly alarmed, “Kidnapped?”

The older Uchiha shook his head, wondering at the Hokage who loved to stir up so much drama for his 

own amusement, especially with these two.

”She escaped, was traveling in a henge of a Sound medic with a band of shinobi.”

Naruto’s angry countenance fell into sadness and worry,”Sakura-chan.”

Shisui looked into Sasuke’s eyes, now looking straight back at him,”Sakura-chan found him. It seems

like she’ll be in Sound until Itachi comes back.”

Mikoto’s worries plagued her, the most immediate one especially,”We’ll have to find another Uchiha to

do it then, someone trustworthy.”

“Do what?”, Sasuke asked.

Mikoto raised her eyes to him, a pattern he’d never seen within,”Give you your brother’s eyes.”

Shisui nodded beside her,”You’re the new heir now. Uncle has my father’s eyes and Itachi is gone, so ..”

Mikoto finished his sentence,“You’ll have to take mine.”

“Before any of that, we need to tell Uncle about our visitors.”, Shisui said gravely, nodding towards Sasuke.

“Your new wife has friends here looking for her. One of them has the Rinnegan.”

* * *

* * *

 

Fugaku and Izuna returned home to find Sasuke, Naruto, Shisui, and Mikoto in the kitchen.

Mikoto saw Izuna’s troubled expression first, coming to the rescue without a second thought.

“Good morning! Come, let’s make breakfast and talk.”, she said, taking the girl by the shoulders and

steering her to the pantry.”Why don’t you boys wait in the living room?”

Sasuke looked about to protest, uncomfortable not having a conversation with Izuna or at least thanking

her for her help. Mikoto gave him a warning look over her shoulder.

Still, he said,”We’ll talk soon Izuna.”, before retreating with the other men.

* * *

* * *

Sasuke’s first day as an officially married man had been utterly awkward.

His mother hovered over Izuna all day. He didn’t know the girl well yet, but she seemed bereft, putting

on a barely there polite smile when people at the celebration that evening approached her. He pushed it

to the back of his mind as best he could, but every time he came near her at all, even just to sit side by side

at the table, she seemed to recoil from him. Granted, he did not expect any actual affection from her while

they waited for the child to arrive, but at the very least they could be friendly eventually.

“Congratulations.”, his old sensei said behind him, one arm suddenly around both he and Izuna, squeezing

them together in a hug. “Ready for your wedding night, then?”

Izuna blushed hotly at this, Sasuke balling up his fist to strike at his rude behavior.

“Just because you’re Hokage doesn’t mean you can lay hands on my wife, Kakashi.”

The Copy nin pulled back and eye smiled, tapping his nose, “Sorry, it’s just so rare to see an arranged 

marriage where there is such a natural interest from the beginning. Warms my heart.” 

_ Tch. Shows what you know. _ , Sasuke thought. Izuna clearly wanted nothing to do with him.

Just when Sasuke was about to apologize to her for Kakashi’s behavior, a new group arrived.

Izuna jumped up from her seat at the sight of them, joyfully wrapping her arms around a man with

long blonde hair. The man looked equally happy to see her, arms circling about her waist and spinning 

her around,”Izuna-chan!”

Sasuke stood, hoping to avoid a scandal at his own reception. It seemed no one realized it was wrong 

to paw at someone else’s spouse, especially in public. Not that he had a leg to stand on, other than remorse.

The blonde gave him a narrow eyed glare as he approached.

”Who’s this?”, he asked Izuna, as if Sasuke wasn’t present.

Izuna gave him a beaming smile, a very convincing one, Sasuke thought.

“This is my husband, Uchiha Sasuke. He saved me, brought me home.”

The man seemed wary but extended his hand,”Thank you for taking care of her.”

Surprised, Sasuke extended his hand as well. 

The Iwa nin took it and dragged him close enough to whisper,”Fuck this up and I’ll kill you.”

Sasuke withdrew, nodding. It’s something he would have said to Sakura’s husband if it was anyone other

than Itachi. The blonde turned his attention to Izuna again, taking her hand and walking outside with her

to the gardens, a blushing redhead following close behind.

Naruto sidled up to him, nudged his arm,”Those are the guys that took Sakura-chan.”

“Where’s the one with the Rinnegan?”, Sasuke asked, scanning the room.

“He went with your dad into his office.We should pound him when he gets ready to leave, for trying

to kidnap Sakura.”

Sasuke rolled his eyes and smacked the blonde upside his head.

Sakura wasn’t here to do it. Someone had to.

“That’s suicide, idiot. He could destroy the entire village before we could stop him.”

Naruto took a moment to absorb that information, then moved on to the next interesting visitor.

“Think that blonde pretty boy wants your woman, Sasuke?”

“Tch.”  _ She’s not really my woman, Dobe. _

His rowdy friend clapped him on the back a little too hard.

“That guy is with my cousin, the redhead. Don’t sweat it, Teme.”

“I wasn’t.”  _ Was he? _

Now Naruto rolled his eyes, “Liar.”

“Hn.” Okay, so it  _ might _ have bothered him just a little that when a good majority of women threw

themselves his way, this one he didn’t have a  _ chance _ with receiving that kind of attention.

First Shisui, now this guy. He understood why  _ she _ would write him off, but he wondered what it would be 

like to raise a child with a woman who gave affection to everyone but him.

Sasuke didn’t really get a chance to talk to Izuna until it was time for bed.

She offered no conversation herself, and he wasn’t sure what to say to her.

So he simply said, as he laid down to sleep on the floor next to his bed,”Thank you.”

“Hn.”, she replied, wrapping herself in his covers and rolling over to face away.

* * *

* * *

A week later, Izuna had yet to initiate even one conversation with him on her own. 

Sakura managed that even when things were decidedly difficult between them, but she 

was gone now. Not just from his arms, but from his presence entirely. He couldn’t even

pass by her apartment to feel the steady thrum of her chakra anymore. 

No ranting, no annoying nagging, no kindness from her could be found. 

He missed her, but now at least he wouldn’t be forced on her.

She might never know how sorry or how worried he was.

What if she met her end in Sound? What if Itachi did?

What if the elder’s found out about all of this?

Naruto’s moping was getting on his nerves too.

The elders were worst of all, but he had expected that. His father had left the morning after his reception

with the bizarre Uzumaki man and two of his friends, leaving Sasuke at the full mercy of the elders on his own.

Bowing to people who hung on his brother’s every word, people who now accused Itachi of the most vile things,

was something he couldn’t bring himself to do. That they survived acting this way while telling him what to do 

was a difficult courtesy to extend as it was.

His brother was declared missing, Izumi as well.

It was unclear, officially, if Sakura was a hostage or a party to the desertion.

Soon, he would be exchanging his eyes with his mother.

Sakura wouldn’t be in Konoha to perform it, which made him  _ very _ nervous. 

Knowing there were no simple answers to all this, Sasuke decided to hide at the bar and drink until he was unconscious. 

Someone would pick him up and deposit him in his bed. Izuna would cringe and sleep on the floor instead,

and he would hate himself for it tomorrow, but tonight he just wanted to sleep in his own damn bed again. 

The woman he _ didn’t _ share his bed with seemed disturbed every time he so much as brushed past her

in the hallway. She barely spoke to him even when approached.

Maybe this was what he deserved. 

Probably.

Maybe things would always be this way.

He could admit some jealousy that his brother had Sakura in his bed now, but he couldn’t let it linger.

He had driven Itachi away and tarnished his reputation, put his whole family at risk, taken a woman from his

cousin that was likely as lonely as he was, basically trapped Izuna into being with him.

Sakura was right. He was the scum of the earth.

He tapped his shot glass on the counter, signaling he was ready for another round of self destruction. 

For some reason, the barkeep wasn’t understanding him.

A hand met his shoulder,”I think he’s had enough. Put it on my tab.”

“You’re tab!”, the bartender exclaimed before the world tilted crazily, making Sasuke slightly more 

nauseous than he’d been. It was darker now, easier to open his eyes.

“No puking in my office, Sasuke. Pull it together.”

The Uchiha curled up on the soft, carpeted floor, deciding to nap where he’d landed.

Kakashi gave a long suffering sigh, shaking his head at the sad sight.

He should have given him the help he asked for when Sasuke had come to him.

The Copy nin crouched down, shook Sasuke gently.

“I’m sorry I didn’t help when you asked me. I can tell you need a friend right now, Sasuke. 

What’s going on?”

The young man heard it through his haze, but doubted the Hokage could help with the problems he had now.

His drunken mind decided to ramble anyway,“Sakura didn’t need me to fix anything. I tried, and it just

messed everything up.” He curled into himself further,”I miss her.”

A softness came over the Hokage’s expression. Sakura was a painful failure of his own.

Nothing he did now could make up for leaving her behind before, but she thrived all the same. 

He missed her as well. “Me too.”, he said simply. “What exactly messed everything up?”

“Shisui wants Izuna who doesn’t want me, and I took her so Sakura wouldn’t have to be with me, so my

baby could have parents.”, he mumbled. “Izuna despises me. My child will see that. Sakura will hide

with Itachi, maybe find a way without me.”

Kakashi wasn’t quite sure what to say next. 

Sakura would be beside herself if she knew what he’d done and why, and Sasuke should have known 

Sakura probably already forgave him before she even left.

What way he was talking about his brother and Sakura finding without him was beyond his understanding just now.

As for his new wife…..

Though she was very subtle, Izuna seemed to be keeping her distance from Sasuke out of fear of hurt or 

maybe guilt, not lack of desire. His nose never lied, and when Sasuke moved too close to her, even though

she moved away from him, Kakashi knew her body wanted to move towards her new husband instead. 

He had made sure of it at the reception by squeezing the two of them together.

Though she and Shisui seemed close, it felt more like Sakura and Naruto’s relationship than a mutual attraction.

“What if Izuna-san wants you?”, he proposed.

“She doesn’t.”, Sasuke said with certainty.

“Why do you think so?”

“She can’t even sit next to me without being upset. I’ve done too much wrong.”, the drunken Uchiha mumbled.

“Sleeping next to her is torture.”, Sasuke complained.

_ “I bet. _ ”, was nearly out of Kakashi’s lips before he stopped it. Izuna was beautiful, and Kakashi didn’t envy 

Sasuke being in a room with her all night without touching her. He would have slept on the roof.

Instead, he said, “She doesn’t avoid you because she’s not attracted to you. She is.”

“How do you know that?”, Sasuke spat, sprawling on the floor in a pitiful attempt to sit up.

The Copy nin smiled, knowing just how to convince him.

“Same way I know someone with apple flavored gloss kissed your cheek tonight, and that you probably haven’t bathed today.”

Sasuke bolted up suddenly, then grabbed his head and blinked, groaning as he laid back down.

“I’ll test your theory.”, he mumbled, unable to deny the assessment of his state and very glad he hadn’t

pulled the girl at the bar into a closet and fucked her like he briefly considered doing.

“Sober up and shower first.”, Kakashi advised, walking to the doors to get some coffee.

  
  
  
  



	35. HIdden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Itachi gets a promise and an angry wife, Sasuke tests the waters with Izuna and makes a little progress, Akatsuki make plans.

The gravity of her husbands command had Sakura sitting at the bed and patting the space beside

her without another word.She kept quiet for three hours as she combed his entire body, looking for seals.

Each time she found one, save for the one within his Anbu tattoo he was aware of, she cleared her throat

and nodded to him. There were three in total. Having a seal placed on you without your knowledge was

a huge violation, and Sakura bit her lip at the pain and anger he must be feeling now.

The look in his eyes screamed bewildered betrayal.

Finally, her husband spoke,” Orochimaru said he had a seal as well, one that prevented him from having

offspring. He knows, told me.”

“How was it undone?”, Sakura asked.

“I would not trust any solution he offered.”, Itachi answered.

 His wife agreed.“Perhaps we can find out on our own.”

Her husband nodded sadly, wanting to ask her if it was indeed a Senju seal but deciding against it.

The only Senju in existence was Tsunade, that he was aware of, and Sakura would be very hurt if that

were the case. Worse, he would be tempted to fury while she grieved.

He did not want to be at odds with his wife right now. It might be more than he could take.

Suddenly, Sakura’s arms were around him, holding him tight.

His eyes widened hearing her trembling voice, coming from where she’d buried her face in his chest.

”I’m sorry this happened to you.”

He reached up to cup her cheek, tilting her eyes to meet his.

Tears were streaming down her face, a faint smile on her lips.

He furrowed his brow, questioning her tears and expression.

“I want to stay only yours.”, she explained.”I know this is awful, but maybe there’s a way?”

He quieted her with a chaste kiss, his heart squeezing painfully.

He would love to be the only man that touched her, but he dared not hope.

His beautiful pink haired kunoichi was an optimist, much like her sunny teammate.

“Sakura, there is no guarantee it will work. I promise to do what I can to keep you to myself, but only if

you promise me that you will do what you can to keep me to you as well.”

His wife opened her mouth to answer him, but Itachi put his finger to her lips.

“Be certain, Sakura. You will break my heart if you say you will and do not, even if that means giving

yourself to Sasuke, or even Shisui if he refuses.”

Sakura shook her head,”I don’t think Sasuke will do it even if I was willing. Besides, we have a long time

to figure it out. Izumi isn’t due for almost half a year.”

Itachi pulled back from her and crossed his arms over his chest, raised his brow expectantly.

_Not exactly an answer, woman._

Sakura sighed, looking listless and defeated from within,”Yes, I will. I’ll be angry, but I’ll do it.”

He was glad of her answer, but hated seeing her look like that.

Her husband smirked, deciding to tease her and break the atmosphere with a little show of his wife’s

adorable raging, a sure sign of her vibrancy and will. Not enough to get him running for his life, but enough

to distract her from what they’d just talked about for now.

”Not as angry as you’ll be when I’m married off to a distant cousin, unable to touch you at all.”

Itachi soon tensed in alarm at her resulting expression from his remark.

 _Oh no. Perhaps I’ve miscalculated. I might have to run after all_.

 

* * *

* * *

  


Sasuke stumbled inside with Kakashi waving farewell at the door, climbed the stairs to their room.

He opened the door to the adjoining bathroom once inside it without glancing at the bed, stripped his

clothes and washed thoroughly, dried off and slung a towel over his hips. He brushed his teeth and exited

the bathroom to find the sleep clothes he’d forgotten to bring in before the shower, feeling much more

sober now, when he stopped dead in his tracks.

Izuna was wide awake, sitting up in bed, staring right at him.

When he asked her what she was doing still awake, she responded with,“I couldn’t sleep without you here.”

Sasuke blinked in astonishment at Izuna’s answer, trying to find a way to answer back.

Preferably in the gracious, inviting way he’d been trained to.

“We have some camomile downstairs. I’ll make us some?”

Izuna nodded, her soft smile barely visible in the dark.

He grabbed some sleep pants out of a drawer, went to the bathroom to put them on, running through the

things Kakashi had said to him on the way back here.

_It’s not rejection, Sasuke. Her reactions are almost opposite of Sakura’s._

_When she’s afraid, she’ll shy away. When she’s guilty, she’ll run away._

_Pay attention to what’s happening  when she does either of those._

He made his way downstairs and to the kitchen, deciding to remain shirtless and observe her.

He’d been so certain Izuna had been revolted by him, but he hadn’t missed the way her eyes had caressed

him lower and lower as he stood there in the towel, rapidly averting them once she realized. 

 

Kakashi wasn’t as clueless as he looked after all.

 

He resolved to keep all of this in mind, but when he handed her the cup of tea he made her and their

fingers brushed, she visibly recoiled even stronger than she had before.

He lost his temper. Maybe she was afraid, but he’d never even attempted to intimidate her.

He’d had enough.

“I have done _exactly_ as you’ve asked!”, he fumed, “Why are you afraid of me?!”

Izuna  wondered when the dam would break, and that time had come.

She’d promised not to lie to him, but there were some truths she shouldn’t be saying now.

She said what she could manage, knowing he needed something concrete.

“Orochimaru did things to me…... while looking like you.”

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion,”What?”

“I’m not saying that again.”, Izuna murmured, shaking her head and taking another sip of her tea.

For a long time they sat in silence as Sasuke sifted through things to respond with.

At last he came up with, “How did this vision of me….hurt you?”

When the minutes ticked by without a response he assumed the worst, then carefully asked her another

question,”Why do you think he chose _me_ for that? Did he say anything?” 

Izuna bolted up and marched upstairs to their room without another word, slamming the door.

What the hell did he do now? Did he choose the wrong words?

He sighed. _Probably._

He rose and climbed the stairs, knocking once before she said,”Enter.”

Sasuke opened the door but did not come in, folded his arms over his chest and leaned against the

door frame. Realizing he would be humiliated having to admit something like that, he told her what he

might like to hear if the roles were reversed. “I know it wasn’t easy to tell me that.”, he said softly.

She was silent, unresponsive and looking away, but the tension in her shoulders relaxed. 

He pressed forward, closing the door behind him and walking closer to the bed.

They were going to share their lives, not only with each other but with his child, he hoped.

He had to find a way to earn her trust. His reputation was already dirt with her, so why not?

”I’ll tell you something about me..if it will make you feel better.”

She sat up straight in the bed, turning to him with interest in her eyes,”It would.”

Painfully, he proceeded to relay the whole awful story to her, from why he started taking the missions

to the break up with Sakura. Not at all seductive in purpose, but an attempt at intimacy.

She listened to all of it quietly until he was finished. Finally, she spoke again,”My husband told me on

our wedding night he was afraid I wouldn’t forgive him his intimate mistakes, but if I did, then he would

learn the right way. He made me very happy.”, she said, blushing prettily.

Sasuke actually smiled at this very gentle correction, for the first time in a long time, and couldn’t help it.

“Maybe if I’d spoken to him I wouldn’t have been so..”, he paused, searching for the right word.

“Stupid?”, Izuna offered.

His smile went back to a smirk but he nodded, “Aa.”

“What about Izumi?”, she asked.

Sasuke kept his desire to frown now to himself,“Maybe later, if you've got something else for me.”

Izuna nodded,“Goodnight Sasuke-kun.”

She pulled the covers back and gave him a pointed look at the space on the mattress beside her.

Whatever test he passed, he was grateful.

As he laid down, he thought about her reactions, trying to apply Kakashi’s logic.

According to that, it would seem Izuna felt guilty when asked why he was chosen to...what had happened?

A sexual assault perhaps? It seemed so. Perhaps Orochimaru had noticed some attraction while he was

in Sound, punished her with his image? Maybe she felt guilty because her body had responded?

That was one hell of a complication, if there ever was one.

It would also mean she was afraid of being hurt in the kitchen when she pulled back after receiving her tea.

 _That_ was a puzzle. Izuna was clearly not helpless, and she had no such air about her. Kakashi must have

meant she was afraid of something less tangible.

There wasn’t a solution to either of these but keeping his distance then, just like she’d asked him to.

Sasuke couldn’t entirely understand how he had just told Izuna what he did, actually managed through it.

Maybe she was just easy to talk to. He must have made her feel safe enough to tolerate him sharing this

space. Hopefully he didn’t have to do it again for a long time and still got to sleep in his bed.

He could manage it without trying to seduce Izuna, he thought. He would just need to get off every once

in a while before he went to bed, think about something other than the pretty girl sleeping prone in his

room. He found himself in need of inspiration though, and yes, another box of tissues. He certainly couldn’t

think of Sakura like that anymore without feeling guilty, felt smothered in shame every time he thought of

Izumi, and was warned not to think of his previous targets for sanity’s sake.

A warning he wholeheartedly agreed with.

Thinking about Izuna would only cause trouble. He shrugged and pulled the covers up to his shoulders.

It was what it was and he’d figure it out.

Sasuke smirked at the thought of being called Sasuke-kun by his wife as he drifted off, celibate or no.

He slept sound, in his own bed next to her that night, and it wasn’t torture.

 

Izuna found sleep elusive. When he came out of that bathroom, hair down and dripping, he looked so

very much like Saitku it caught her breath. Now she understood why she was so drawn.

However, Fugaku had told the truth. Sasuke was a very different man.

After all these years, she was different too.

His tale of sorrow for his lost love pulled at her heart. She could see he was trying to let it go, that it hurt

him even now, but he cared enough to want the best for her.

Over the last week, she had watched him with his friends and family, caught him a few times reading or

just feeding stray cats. Once when she’d been training in the compound, he came to her offering water and

lunch, and she saw him correcting where his eyes lingered.

She’d had to hurry away from his lean physique and glistening chest and dark eyes.

He would let her, she thought. Maybe. But things could go wrong if they touched.

She remembered the caress of Orochimaru’s eyes, his low voice humming to her in delight. 

_“You seemed to like that very much, my dear. I was able to show you just what he felt like, what he would_

_do and how he would touch. I had the memories to recreate everything. Would you like more?”_

Fugaku likely knew she had been quite tempted to say yes, the physical aspect of the experience being nothing

short of mind blowing.Now more than ever she needed to keep her hands to herself.Orochimaru had not

impregnated her like she thought, but he never did anything without a purpose, so he did do _something_ to her.

She needed to know what.

Sasuke could be in mortal danger if she allowed physicality between them for all she knew.

The new Uchiha heir was trying to keep up his end of the bargain and make her comfortable, but Sasuke was not

always noble. He had come home smelling of the bar with the look of a man who considered things he knew he shouldn’t.

Just now he smelled of pine and warmth and breeze, sleeping not a foot away. Izuna huffed in frustration.

She had invited him to sleep beside her, knowing he would eventually sleep elsewhere altogether if she did not.

The worry, if Sasuke did not seem interested in being near her, that the clan head might expose her previous

indiscretion to her new husband had made it impossible for her to rest. If he was certain she wanted him and

he decided to do something about it in their forced proximity, she was doomed. She needed a way to make

this more manageable. Maybe find a lover for him, or pretend to have one herself?

She fell into sleep without any answers.

* * *

* * *

 

Uzumaki Nagato sat on a cliffside with his oldest friend and his cousin, watching the sun rise.

Yahiko turned to face the petite medic,“Go back to Konoha, Karin. Follow Fugaku home and ask him questions.

Nagato and I will head to the new base, speak to Orochimaru for you.”

Karin shook her head,“He probably wants me dead.”

“We’ll tell him you betrayed us and we are seeking you out. His suspicions will fade, and you can return

to your post when it’s time. Gather some intel on Konoha while you’re there that he might be interested in.”

Confused, the fiery redhead asked,“So...we’re not their friends?”

Nagato gave his cousin a penetrating stare that made her uneasy.

“Orochimaru will be destroyed before he ever has a chance to use it.”

When visiting the site of the cave, there was a trace of a presence, one she had felt on Izumi at Sound.

She wished she had kept her mouth shut just now about what she’d sensed, kept him safe like he had

done for her. Karin owed Orochimaru a great deal, and it was times like these she felt horribly conflicted.

Her cousin would win in a fight against the man who rescued her from the fate her mother suffered, and

though the Sannin caused much suffering himself, she had spent enough time with him to understand his

motives and felt guilty exposing them. He would certainly regret saving her if she became the reason for

his downfall. She made her way back to Konoha, worrying her bottom lip, her steps heavy.

 

* * *

* * *

 

Sasuke came down to breakfast to find Izuna and Naruto chatting over their meal.

He turned right back around and headed to his room to hide.

A few firm bangs shook his door minutes later.

”I know you’re in there Sasuke! Get dressed and come out!”

_How long had Naruto been here? What were they laughing and talking about down there?_

_Would she reveal what he said last night?_

_Nothing would get him out of this room right now. Nothing._

“No.”

Naruto gave Izuna a long suffering glance, then turned back to the door.

“We both know I can knock this door down. Your Mom is waiting for you in the hospital.”

 _Except that_.

”I’m coming.”, he called back, throwing his clothes on in haste.

Today was the day.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


 

  
  
  
  
  
  



	36. Getting it all out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Itachi runs from and spars with Sakura. Izuna gets some news from Karin and Sasuke gets an indecent proposition.

Sakura was indeed much more furious than he thought she would be, compelling Itachi to scramble away and out

of their room like a shot, his hot headed wife running full speed behind him. He was faster but in an enclosed space.

If he hit a dead end....

 So he ran, a little exhilarated as he raced past others at the base who quickly removed themselves from his path,

not daring to look back lest he lose the advantage.

Sometimes Sakura took her temper too far, causing greater injury than would normally be acceptable only because she

could heal it. If he evaded her for long enough, everything would likely work itself out, but he needed a more predictable

and open area to meet her in.

 By sheer luck, he stumbled upon the entrance to the training area. Smirking to himself, he decided to help Sakura get

some of her frustration out, get some needed some physical exercise and blow off his own steam from the recent discovery

of the seals before the anger crept up on him.

He was perched on a large rock when she emerged, onyx eyes regarding her with playful anticipation.

Sakura understood he was giving her a chance to spar with him, to make peace and vent.

The pink haired kunoichi reached into her pouch and pulled on her gloves, keeping her eyes on her infuriating husband.

"I apologize for my teasing.”, he said, knowing it was unlikely to cool her off.

His pretty wife glared at him.

“You _will_ be sorry.”

Hoping to catch him off guard, she unzipped her shirt and tossed it aside as well, leaving her in bindings, mesh, and a skirt.

Itachi smirked and met her eyes, slowly shaking his head from left to right.

_You know better than that._

The pinkette frowned.He would _not_ let his guard down, the same razor sharp focus he always displayed on the battlefield

wrapped around him like armor, his impassive mode of maximum intimidation in full play. For a moment, Sakura shuddered

at how it might feel being on the other side against him, how he would look to her if they were opposed and she didn’t know

him the way she did.

Then she got down to business.

Itachi’s eyes widened slightly as she gave him an evil grin and balled her fists.

Her tight midsection and furious heaving breaths were open to his eyes, and he found ignoring this sort of thing from women

he’d never intended to touch was quite different than his opponent being his own lover.

Gods, she was beautiful. He’d run from her all day to see her like this.

Her fists came down and the earth rumbled, forcing him to leap deftly onto a branch in the trees nearby, and then quickly to

another as her clone was nearing his back on the first landing.

 _That_ , he thought, _was an excellent move._

Suddenly he felt a snap of chakra near him, a tagged shuriken.

He leapt and leapt until she uprooted the tree he was sure she didn’t know he was hiding in and swung it against another

only a moment after he escaped. Surprised at her improved ability to sense him, he called his crows to keep an eye on all

angles of the training field, the only advantage he had to counter it.

Or was it?

An idea came to mind, his eyes twinkling with delight. It was time to soften her up a little.

His crows circled around her, squawking loudly and covering her perimeter as a distraction.

Sakura felt his long, cool fingers brushing her cheek for an instant and turned to face him, but he wasn’t there.

Then smooth lips on an exposed piece of her shoulder and a lightning fast grip on her waist. 

She turned again. He was gone.

Itachi saw her pink cheeks and decided he liked teasing her this way very much, wondering how else he could fleetingly touch

her and escape before she caught him, when they both heard a voice.

“Playtime’s over lovebirds.”, Kabuto sneered,”Lord Orochimaru wants to speak to both of you.”

* * *

* * *

 

Fugaku seemed visibly upset that his wife had chosen Lady Tsunade to perform the operation.

He demanded to be present while she performed it.

The Senju woman glared at the clan head at this request and told him to speak to her in private.

 Once inside her apprentice’s office, she spoke her mind, irritably tapping her red nails on Sakura’s desk,“I’ve never told

anyone about the seals, as it was agreed upon in the peace treaty made that they wouldn’t be disclosed. Despite the

fact that I find them cruel and unnecessary, an opinion I _know_ you are aware of, I will still abide by it whether I am Hokage or not.

So, can I proceed without you scowling over my shoulder?”

Fugaku frowned, but eventually nodded, conceding.”Hn.”

“Does Sasuke have any I need to steer clear of?”, she asked.

“Not yet.The Hyuuga will arrive to seal him to his wife as he recovers.”

“Will he know?”, Tsunade asked.

Fugaku answered curtly,“Not that it is any of your business, but no. Better for him to be as chaste as he can manage as the heir.”

Tsunade chuckled bitterly,”Don’t want him to think he can fuck all of Konoha without knocking them up right?”

Fugaku left without another word, wishing he’d sealed Sasuke much earlier, and wondering if indeed Izuna would be

sufficient for his wandering son.

* * *

* * *

 

Izuna sat on a bench outside the operating room, pleasantly surprised to find Karin had returned. “Any news?”

Karin shook her head, ”Not yet. How are things with your handsome new husband?”

The Uchiha woman sighed dejectedly.

“That good huh?”, the bespectacled girl quipped, giving her friend a wry smile.

Izuna’s eyes pleaded beseechingly,”Can you look me over? I just need to know what’s happening, Karin-san. Do you

have any idea what was done to me?”

Karin most certainly knew,“What do you want me to look for?”

“I thought...maybe…”, Izuna trailed off, hand gliding over her abdomen in wistful sadness.

 _So she wanted it_ , Karin thought. She needed to be sure.

”You have a fine male specimen in there to do that with, Izuna.”

The dark haired woman’s eyes flicked to the room her new husband was in, soon to be blind before he could see

differently than he ever had,”I don’t want him to be hurt.”

Karin looked thoughtfully at her lap. Izuna was soft hearted, had found some mercy within her for the man she married.

Sasuke wasn’t in any real physical danger, she supposed. Yet, the Uchiha heir could get hurt should he return her favor

towards him, if he had any idea his wife knew about the xenogenesis.

The answer was clear.

She needed to lie, tell Izuna the baby didn’t take, that she was free to have another.

Orochimaru would be pleased.

Her cousin would punish her, Dei would never forgive her for it.

 _If_ they ever found out, of course. They might never.

But did it matter? What she did now, ultimately, would make the decision for her.

She knew in her heart what she felt was right, what the end of all this should be. 

Karin put a hand on her friend’s shoulder, “Come on, let’s take a look.” 

* * *

* * *

 

Mikoto reached her hand across to hold Sasuke’s, trying to comfort him.

 He took it hesitantly, feeling he could not be more unworthy of this gift from his brother and mother.

”I don’t want to be here.”, he said quietly.

“It’s Ok.”, she reassured, knowing what weighed on his heart,“He wanted this for you for a long time.” 

Sasuke let out a breath and put his head back on the mattress, hoping Tsunade came back quickly so he could be

unconscious as soon as possible. He didn’t have to wait long. She came back alone.

“Ready Uchiha?”, the blonde Sannin asked, donning her gloves.

* * *

* * *

 

Waking up to darkness was disconcerting to say the least.

A hand was squeezing his,”I’m right here. Rest your eyes. It will be awhile before you can use them again.”

The voice and chakra were distinct,“Izuna?”

“Hn.”, she replied. Her brow furrowed at his attempt to sit up so soon, wanting to put her hand on his chest to halt him

but thinking better of it,“Please let your body recover, Sasuke-kun. I will help you until you are healed.”

He laid back on the bed with an indignant huff that made Izuna smile, one he heard in her voice as she admonished

him,”So stubborn.”

He wasn’t in the best mood, her demeanor bringing back his latest memory of her cheer and the pain in his eyes stoking his irritation.

“You can laugh with Naruto about it over breakfast.”, he retorted.

Izuna was a little taken aback at this. She _had_ laughed with Naruto this morning over breakfast. His blonde friend was charming

and hilarious in his own way, and she saw no harm in it. She frowned at him,“I would hardly laugh behind your back at your

expense with your friends. I’m not sure what I’ve done to deserve such an insult.”

“What was so funny?”, he asked, feeling a little vulnerable. She had promised to care for him, but that didn’t mean much

if he was blind and helpless while she was airing his dirty laundry to his lovable but unable to keep his mouth shut friend.

Especially where it concerned Sakura.

It dawned on Izuna what might have been on his mind. 

She squeezed his hand again,“Anything you say to me will be locked away for only you and I to know. I would never tell a soul.

Being safe for you to talk to is a primary duty as your wife.”

Sasuke swallowed, “But we’re not..”

”It’s principle, not circumstance.” , she said, stroking her thumb along the back of his hand. “Besides, how will we tell each other the truth otherwise?”

Sasuke nodded, not sure he believed her yet, but wanting to.

He tested her, wondering if her affectionate gestures would cease once he did, ”I need a lover eventually, Izuna.”

She passed, saying evenly,”I know. For now, heal and learn about the Eternal Mangekyo. The time will come and we

will…... arrange something.” Izuna wasn’t sure how to change the arrangement, or even if she should, knowing he was

safe now and she was ready to concieve. Sasuke replied by squeezing her hand back, then bringing it with his own onto his

stomach to rest in apology, finding no harm in giving his wife affection such as it was. He felt torn between being moved at her

understanding that he needed someone and disconcerted that she hadn’t put up more of a fight for him, knowing either emotion

could end up wounding him in the end.

She didn’t let go of his hand for a long time.

When they arrived home, Karin came along to assist Izuna in caring for both patients.

Being a field medic, the Uzumaki woman delegated tasks and Izuna completed them.

At night, Sasuke’s wife would tend to him exclusively, taking her shower once he drifted off for the evening. On the fourth

night, she had just stepped out and wrapped a towel around herself when she heard Sasuke cry out. She swiftly left the bathroom,

coming to his bedside and flipping on the bedroom light.Soon realizing he hadn’t called for her assistance but was having a bad dream,

she reached out for him to gently rouse him out of the nightmare’s grip. 

Suddenly, his hand shot out and he grabbed the front of her towel, jerking it toward him on reflex. Realizing an enemy didn’t

come along with the cloth he’d grabbed hold of, he woke fully.

Sensing Izuna in the room, he asked her, holding up the towel, “What is this?”

He couldn’t see her, but Izuna was completely bare, wondering how she was going to talk to him about this.

Well, she’d promised not to lie, embarrassment or no.“You were dreaming but I thought I heard you calling me once I got out of the shower.”

Sasuke’s ears turned quite red at this, and it was adorable.

”So this is...your towel?”, he asked.

“Hn.”, she replied.

Sasuke found he had the indecency to internally curse his temporary blindness in this moment, wondering what vision his

eyes would be drinking in if only he could see. Despite his bandages, Izuna could see the beginnings of desire on his face as

he breathed in deeply, giving her a vivid blush of her own.”May I have it back, Sasuke-kun?”

Feeling sheepish and a bit guilty now, he thrust the towel away from himself, stopping his motion immediately when he felt…

_Oh, no. It couldn’t be. There is only one thing that feels like that. Shit!_

Izuna’s mouth hung open, staring in shock at the back of Sasuke’s hand resting on the inside curve of her breast where he’d

tried to return her towel to her. She had walked forward to take the towel from him just as he tried to hand it to her, and now….

She stepped back, taking the towel from his hand and wrapping it back around herself, disappearing into the bathroom again without another word.

Once he heard the door shut, Sasuke laid back on the bed, groaning in frustration and running a hand through his inky locks.

He wished he had the privacy of that bathroom right now. It had been a few weeks since he’d done anything about his needs, and

having a beautiful woman in his room stark naked wasn’t making things any easier.

Neither was having the memory of her firm, soft globe and taut nipple gracing the back of his hand.

From there, it only got worse. Izuna did not come back to bed that night.

 The next morning, the red head came in, letting him know she would be taking care of him for the day.

“Why?”, he asked,”Where’s Izuna?”

“Speaking for you at a meeting with the clan. Your dad went with her.”, she answered

Sasuke wondered irritably if he’d scared his wife away from him again, then realized he could do what he normally didn’t

have a chance to now that Izuna was likely gone for the day. ”Could you run me a bath?”, he requested, figuring that was

enough privacy to palm himself back to sanity.

Karin had been thinking over her best course of action. Getting Izuna out of the house likely meant they would seal the new

heir today, and Mikoto was in no condition to stop it from happening.

Karin was going back to Orochimaru, and she needed to do what she could here to help his cause. 

“How about I run a shower for the both of us instead?”, she offered.

  



	37. Interloper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sakura and Itachi meet Orochimaru's treasured guests, Karin betrays Izuna and lies to Sasuke but gets caught, and Shisui gets in trouble with Fugaku.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! My muse left me when my brain short circuited for a time after quitting smoking, but the fog has cleared.  
> Thank you guys so much for the kudos and comments! They keep me going.

 

Orochimaru sailed down a long hallway, the Uchiha couple walking behind him.

“Sakura-chan, I am bringing you to meet a very special guest of mine, the only remaining survivor of the

Kaguya clan, Kimimaro-kun.”

“How long has he been here?”, Sakura asked.

“Long enough for me to know I cannot find a cure for him.”, Orochimaru answered, then looked over his shoulder at

the former Uchiha heir. “Itachi-kun?”

“Hn?”

“You and I will be visiting an assistant I’ve found for your dear wife while she cares for him.”

Itachi nodded, wondering why exactly he was being involved in Sakura’s work but glad for a chance to observe the elusive

man he’d caught sight of on the way to this base. His eyes flicked over his wife, noting her entire demeanor had changed

into medic mode, her face reflecting concern for a man she’d never met. He smirked to himself, warmth blooming in his

chest. Even her heart moved him with it’s beauty, maybe especially so.

Once they entered the room, it was clear this man was revered by the Snake Sannin.

It was opulent, even the sheets and pillowcases made of satin gleamed, the room smelling of cloves and something sweet.

After introducing Sakura to Kimimaro, a slight pale man in obvious pain, the patient’s soft voice asked Itachi,”Are you here

to care for Saika when I’m gone?” Orochimaru answered for him,”He hasn’t met her, but we will be visiting after we are finished here.”

Kimimaro shook his head with great effort,”Please go now. She has been wanting to play but I..”, the rasp in his voice grew harsh

and he began to cough. Sakura intervened, meeting eyes with her husband,“Go ahead. We’ll be fine.”

Rather than leaving the room and returning to the hallway, Orochimaru approached a door on the far side of Kimimaro’s

room, touching a seal on it after a series of hand signs he made with his back turned to Itachi. The door opened, and a

little girl with wild black hair in a flowing white nightgown ran to wrap her arms around Orochimaru’s waist, giving him an

affectionate embrace. Once the little girl was finished snuggling into the Snake Sannin, she turned her face up to regard Itachi,

and the sight of her caught his breath.

There was no doubt, she was an Uchiha, perhaps nine or ten years old.

“Who is this, father?”, she asked.

Itachi’s heart twinged in his chest. He did his best to push down the ache.

Orochimaru smiled down at her and stroked her hair,”He is the head of your clan, Saika-chan.”

The little girl beamed a megawatt smile at Itachi that made his lips curve up despite himself, then tried to put a more

serious look on her face, bowing low. ”I am honored to meet you Uchiha-sama.”

Itachi inclined his head,”Likewise.”

  

* * *

* * *

 

He hadn’t been entirely sure if he heard the Uzumaki woman right, until he felt her hand caressing his loins through his

sleep pants.

“What about..”, Sasuke wracked his brain, trying to remember the name of the redhead’s boyfriend as she palmed his cock.

Deciding that was a lost cause right now, he said the name of the other reason this was probably a bad idea, “Izuna?”

Karin quickly calculated her odds of getting out of here with all the information she wanted. 

 _Not good_ , she thought, but this was the surest thing if he didn’t reject her and might just be enough.

“She asked me to, said you might need someone.”

Sasuke stifled a moan as she gripped him more tightly, moving her hand slowly up and down.

He wanted more explanation than this, but he did not want to insult the woman his wife had chosen for him, especially

if she became angry and he had to wait for another or none at all.

“Why do you think she picked you?”, he grit out, hoping it was an acceptable thing to ask her.

Karin looked up at him, blushing at the sight. His jaw was tight with strain and she could tell he was holding back from

thrusting his impressive member into her hand. He would be a perfect vision, save for the look of worried uncertainty on his face.

“I’m her best friend and I have a man of my own. She knows she can trust me to take care of you without trying to take off with you.”

When his expression relaxed at her explanation, she moved his pants out of the way, bringing her hot mouth to his jutting

length and circling the head with her tongue.

 _Oh fuck yes_ , Sasuke’s mind sang as he fully laid back, desire swirling through him heavily as she opened her mouth and

took him in. This was a rare treat for him, done only briefly in his training and by one of his targets on a mission, his main

goal usually being disorienting his targets through delivering pleasure to _them_.Izumi would never, giving sex freely but only

within the clan’s guidelines. He knew now his time with her was less about pleasure than grief, shame, and trying to move on.

He reminded himself not to indulge in this too long this time, not wanting his new lover to think of him as a thankless chore.

His hand snaked down, tangling into her locks, unable to help bucking into her wet warmth.

He supposed casual sex had it’s merits, he only wished he wasn’t experiencing it for the first time _after_ he was a married man.

It was with that thought that his arousal began running away from him.

He wasn’t wanted, not by the woman he would spend his life with.

Karin felt him soften, her eyes flicking to his face once again. 

She felt at a disadvantage here, unable to stimulate him visually. Clearly he still felt conflicted.

Maybe she could tap into his imagination?

“I know you want her. Pretend.”, she offered confidently, wondering who would be on his mind.

 For some reason, Sasuke became rock hard again, gripping her hair almost painfully.

“Are you sure?”, he asked, sounding hopeful.

She put him in her mouth again and nodded as he hummed in pleasure.

A vision of Izuna waking him up this way came to mind.

A jolt of pleasure shot up his spine at the thought of her doing this, his fingers swept into her long, beautiful hair while

she serviced him this way. His stomach clenched after a handful of thrusts and he knew he wouldn’t last very long if they

kept this up. He yearned for mutual passion, affection…..love.

He tugged Karin up to him, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her fiercely.

He swept his tongue along her lips but they would not open.

“Kiss me, Izuna.”, he commanded,”Let me taste you.”

Karin was half pinned under the lustful Uchiha, surprised that he said it out loud.

She gave him access and he kissed her senseless, rubbing between her legs expertly and making her throb for penetration.

She was going straight to hell, “Fuck me. Please.”

Sasuke withdrew from her and stood, “I have condoms in the nightstand. Meet me in the bathroom.”

He made it to the adjoining bathroom as he listened to her rifle through the drawers, cursing himself for nearly tripping

over the toilet on his way to the tub. Permission or not, he could not bear the thought of his wife walking in on him fucking

her friend on their bed. They could lock this door and stay out of sight easily here. Once he laid down in the bathtub fully unclothed,

Karin opened the door. She straddled his legs, opened the condom and applied it, and positioned herself above him without

another word. Sasuke hissed as she slowly sank down on him, clenching his fists at his sides from the sounds she made as she slid

to the base of his shaft. Carefully, his hands came up to rest on her waist.

She was fit and tight, and very, very wet. He thanked his lucky stars that he turned her on like this.

She wasn’t really his type, but if he knew he was pleasing her and Izuna continued giving her blessing, he could probably overlook that. 

Karin was filled to the brim, feeling her body pulse around him in ecstasy.

She had to comment, but stayed in character.

”I’m so glad I married you.You feel _so_ good.”, she purred, beginning to move over him and stroking his toned chest.

He sat up, taking a nipple into his mouth and let his hands slide to her backside, squeezing it rhythmically as she rode him.

He wanted to flip her over and pound her, but his eyes were beginning to ache from all the activity and excitement, even the

smallest movements beginning to sting.

Karin felt he was in some pain. She placed her arms around his neck and sped up, watching his pleasure overtake it.

Soon he was back to holding her waist, grunting with effort and trying to slow her down so it would last. 

“Bite me and I’ll cum.”, she instructed breathlessly, knowing that's what he was waiting for.

Sasuke drew forward, nipping her shoulder gently and holding on with all his might not to lose it before Karin did.

“Harder! Break the skin!”, she cried, beginning to rock her hips just so, but not quite enough.

Desperate for release, he obeyed, bit her maybe a little too hard. She yelped as he tasted her blood on his tongue, but

began riding him hard, slamming herself down on his cock with wild abandon.

Sasuke closed his eyes tightly and gritted his teeth, ready to explode. The girl seemed close, a few more moments of this

would be enough.

He felt her nails dig into his shoulders and heard her gasp,”Ah Kami!”, just before she arched and clamped down on him.

He let go and his orgasm ripped through him, nearly stealing his breath. All Sasuke could do was hold on to her and groan

as he spent himself.

When he finally opened his lids, body flooded with relief and eyes tingling, he could clearly see the girl astride him.

Noticing his awe, the redhead smirked,”I healed you through the bite, but I won’t tell, and neither should you.”

Sasuke’s eyes narrowed.Ignoring her toned, naked body he asked her,”Why?”

She looked at him in all seriousness,“Because the Hyuuga are going to come in here and seal you to Izuna any minute,

and I want you to watch them and record how it’s done.”

He gave her a questioning look.”What do you mean seal me to her?”

Karin huffed in frustration,“They do it to the heir of every clan here in Konoha who asks, to protect their bloodline.You’ll only

be able to reproduce with her.”

Downstairs, a knock was heard at the door.

Karin stood and immediately began drying herself off, quickly removing the condom from Sasuke and tying the end.

”They’re here. I’ll open the door for them. Call for me when you’re ready.”, she said.

Then she was gone.

Sasuke stared at the tile, wondering what the fuck just happened and trying to piece together what she had said.

He could sense the creepy Hyuuga midwife and Hiashi at the door.

His mother’s chakra flowed and ebbed in her slumber, one of Shisui’s clones with her.

At least he could dress himself and get out of here now without trouble.

Karin threw a dress over her head and ran downstairs, greeting the pair of Hyuuga and having them wait in the living room

for Sasuke to call for her. Once they were settled, she went to a small downstairs bathroom, took out a scroll, and sealed the

sample she’d gotten as her ticket back to Orochimaru. As soon as it was rolled up and placed inside her pack, Sasuke flared

his chakra to let her know he was ready. She only hoped he would follow her instructions and watch the process. Maybe it could

be undone, both pleasing her master and ending the cruel experiments on the innocents and her own infertility.

Karin had hoped to witness the sealing for herself, not wanting to depend on Sasuke to show her everything as it happened

without altering it, but one look from the Hyuuga’s told her she was clearly uninvited. 

Her relationship with her friend might be irreparable now. Sasuke seemed the sort to tell Izuna what happened, likely thinking

nothing of it as they were not intimate themselves and he thought she expected it. Izuna would be crushed at what she’d done,

and she felt a pang of guilt, but it wasn’t as if she was trying to take him away from her. This was a mission, no more, no less. 

She had handled plenty of extractions for Orochimaru, and Deidara was aware of this, but this was definitely one of her more

pleasant runs. Karin knew that wouldn’t matter in the end to Izuna, though. She was developing feelings for the Uchiha heir, and

though her husband was either too insecure to believe it or oblivious to it, what happened would certainly hurt her.

Especially considering her past.

She would have to admit she lied and leave it up to him to tell her or not. 

He was unlikely to kill her, but he would definitely be angry.

Karin wondered if Izuna realized how pent up Sasuke had been. Their foreplay had been brief, he couldn’t see her or

even jostle himself too much due to his recent surgery, but he had been fervent and clearly in need. It was over well before

Karin expected it to be, but it was still enough to finish and thankfully the Hyuuga had just arrived afterwards, giving her enough

time and distraction to seal Sasuke’s sample away for Orochimaru. 

Karin put on her gear, then checked on Mikoto as she awaited the Hyuuga to complete the sealing.

The Uchiha matriarch was sleeping soundly. A clone of Shisui was there watching over his aunt….and glaring at the red

head menacingly.

 _He knows, he absolutely knows_ , she thought.

 She left the room quickly, moving to close the door behind her. A rough hand grasped her elbow before she could, spinning

her and pushing her back to the wall. Full lips sneered at her ear, hot breath fanning over the sensitive skin.

“What have you done?”, his voice seethed through clenched teeth.

Karin dispelled her captor with the kunai strapped to her thigh, watching Shisui’s clone poof out of existence. 

She was caught now, and running out of time.

Sasuke watched the clone he’d left on the bed through the caged hawk in his room, chakra masked and hiding in the garden.

Sakura had helped him to perfect this one. It mimicked his chakra flow flawlessly and was as blind as he’d been this morning.

The Hyuuga seemed none the wiser, and were clearly doing seal work after giving his clone an anesthetic that put it under.

His mind wanted to wander about what happened between him and the Uzumaki girl and the ideas dancing around his

periphery regarding the seals, but now was not the time. He needed to remain focused until the Hyuuga left his room. 

Finally, they left, shutting the door behind them. He didn’t move until he felt them leave the compound. 

The second the coast was clear, he headed straight for Karin. When he found her, she looked nervous, antsy even, “Did you get it?’

Sasuke nodded,”Hn.”

She removed her glasses, giving him a clear path to her eyes,”Show me.”

Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest,”Maybe you can answer a few things for me first?”

Karin seemed to expect this but was clearly reluctant,”Um, OK.”

“How did you know about the seals?”

“I carry one.”, she said truthfully.

 _Well, that makes sense_ , Sasuke thought, thinking the whole thing much more than coincidence once it was over.

That solved one problem in his mind as to her ulterior motives. Now to the next thing that was plaguing him.

When Karin told him Izuna asked her to sleep with him, he had first felt gratitude. Then he wondered why, for what must

be the hundredth time in their brief marriage. He remembered her eyes trailing him that night, what Kakashi had said about

her desiring him. If that was so, because he certainly found _her_ desirable, why give him away?

He understood that she had bad memories of her night with the Sannin, but he could be gentle with her, wipe all of that away.

What was so wrong about him that he couldn’t be with her like this instead, even out of sheer physical need, and was there

anything he could do to fix it so they could live without this complication? 

“What exactly did Izuna say when she asked you to be with me?”, he inquired.

Karin steeled herself,“I lied. She didn’t.”

Sasuke froze,”What?”

“I lied to you. She never told me to..”

Suddenly, Karin’s back collided harshly with the door, stars flashing briefly across her vision and a squeezing pressure around

her throat. Sasuke was enraged, imagining the look Sakura had on her face when she found out on Izuna’s, the bitter sadness

seen by his offspring for years to come.Betraying Izuna with her best friend would seriously set things back, and very likely

destroy what trust they’d built.

”How dare you!”, he seethed, strange eyes blazing, his hand tightening  dangerously around her throat.”If you leave without

healing my mother and confessing to my wife, _I’ll hunt you down and destroy you!”_

He let go then, turning away from her as she slumped to the floor. Karin gasped and wheezed for a moment until she could

speak again, _”_ O-Ok, but please, wait just a little while to let everyone know you can see.”

Sasuke’s eyes were on her, ink black once more and blank look back in place.

“Why would I do that?”

If Sasuke saw the soft looks and heated glances his wife had been giving him since he couldn't see, Karin was pretty sure

he would find the confidence to break down her friend’s walls,“Izuna doesn’t guard her expressions when she thinks

you can’t see them.”

Sasuke shook his head, tired of subterfuge, “So?”.

Karin nervously fiddled with her hands, wondering as she found she did too often these days if she was doing the right thing.

“She’s falling for you.”

The Uchiha heir scowled,“No. She won’t let me touch her.”

Karin nodded knowingly,“She feels guilty for using you so she tries to stay away, but she definitely wants you, at least as much

as you want her.”

Anger and indignance touched the Uchiha’s face,“Using me? You mean for knowledge of the seal? She’s part of this too?”

Karin sighed and shook her head,“Izuna submitted to hers willingly, so that’s not it.”

Sasuke raised an expectant brow at her, pushing his curiosity of why she would do that away, first wanting to know how

Izuna was using him.

Karin took a breath and said in a low voice,”She...asked Orochimaru to look like you when he...”

“I see.”, Sasuke cut her off before she could say it all out loud, feeling a need to protect his wife’s dignity from such a thing

being spoken about her. “Why do you care? Why do you want me to know this?”, he asked.

Evading her gaze from his stern one, Karin replied,“Because you’re a jerk, but you’re not a scumbag. I know you wouldn’t

have done it if I hadn’t told you she asked me too. Izuna’s picky, and I want her to be happy.I think you might be able to do that.”

When she looked back up to see his reaction to this, she only caught the briefest glimpse of him turning and walking away, a flush

tinting the back of his neck.

The redhead stifled the urge to smile, then put her mind back on her number one priority: saving her own skin.

She sensed the Uchihas at the meeting were dispersing and walking back. Soon they would be here. It was time to go.

Sensing an informant on duty alone who could create a brief hole in the perimeter watch for her, she took her chance.

When the graceful man with the pale eyes and marked forehead turned to see her, he nodded her through.

Karin ran as fast as she could once she’d made it outside Konoha, breath burning in her lungs. She hadn’t gotten the

seal information she wanted and Sasuke probably wouldn’t give it to her, but the sample she’d sealed in the scroll she

carried would please her master indeed.

* * *

* * *

 

Fugaku found Izuna’s strength and loyalty before the elders admirable.

He had to admit she had taken to her place quickly. 

He had only one complaint regarding her presence, and it had more to do with his nephew than his daughter in law.

Shisui kept stealing glances at her. 

Most of them were sly, but a few had been sloppy, and that would need correction. 

Once the meeting had concluded to his satisfaction, he called him over.

 "Yes, uncle?"

Fugaku’s brows drew down in disapproval,“Your intentions are not discreet.”

To his displeasure, his nephew looked back at him placidly.

The clan head’s brows rose in incredulity,“Are you defying me? Over _another mans wife_?”

This time, Shisui wouldn’t do as he was told. He couldn’t raise a hand against the heir, regardless of Sasuke not being

a popular choice. It was a position the younger man retained only because of his wife’s staunch defending today, the one

he just cheated on in their own room, the harlot in question a friend of Izuna’s.

There was a hard edge to Shisui’s gaze now that Fugaku did not like in the least.

“He promised to leave her untouched, had another in his room just an hour ago. She deserves better.”

Furious but maintaining his facade, Fugaku cleared his tight throat and ordered,“Bring the interloper to me.”

Shisui looked back grimly,“She's gone, and she took something with her.”

* * *

* * *

 

Sakura finished her diagnostic, eyes studying the sweat sheened face of her patient.

He shouldn’t be alive. Orochimaru had obviously put a lot of effort into prolonging this man’s life.

She pulled back and Kimimaro opened his eyes,”Mother’s will is here. We have to destroy it.”

 

* * *

* * *

 

“ _He knows._ ”, the voice whispered.

Izumi frowned. She’d suspected as much.

Orochimaru was no fool, actively warding off her dark friend these days.

He had sensed it even as he spent his passion within her sister. Whether he sensed it’s 

desire to destroy his long term captive or not, he'd sent Izuna away, and it was clear it hadn't 

been because she wasn't to his liking. 

Despite the medic nin seeming to revile her, it hadn't taken much to seduce him. 

He first struck her as a sadistic pervert, and indeed it seemed he meant to be read as such, but he was only emulating

the one he truly wanted most and was actually quite submissive.

Her shadow whispered in his ear in a way only a deep place inside him heard it. 

Soon his affection came along behind his lust, and he began to give her kindness too.

Still, none of it could turn his heart away from the Sannin.

She needed a new plan.

  
  
  
  
  
  



	38. Retrograde

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Izuna gets bad news,Hinata and Neji get good news, Itachi is left behind with Saika while Sakura speaks to Orochimaru, and Kakashi talks with Tsunade about the Akatsuki.

Hyuuga Neji found Hinata in the garden.

In a low, clipped voice, he reported what he saw.

“Hinata-sama, the Uzumaki woman has departed, alone.”

Hinata’s serene countenance became troubled,“She was taking care of Sasuke-san, wasn’t she?”

Neji nodded,”Yes, Hiashi-sama and Lady Mayoki visited him today.”

The heiress’s heart sank.”Let’s pay him a visit.”, she said, standing and motioning for Neji to follow.

The branch member shifted on his feet, staying where he was,“Hinata-sama?”

The pretty Hyuuga turned, tilting her head at him in curiosity.

Neji explained his hesitance,”Sasuke-san despises me.”

“I know,”, she replied, compassion in her eyes,“but I’m not going over there unaccompanied.”

 _That would be improper_ , Neji silently conceded.“What about Naruto?”, he asked her.

She gave him a rare but stern look as an answer, and Neji had to admit she was right again.

The blonde shouldn’t know just yet. Besides, talking about sensitive matters with the irritable Uchiha was bad enough

without having Naruto present and horning in. Hinata loved him too much to say so, but it was clear enough that she knew it.

Neji sighed audibly,”Let’s go.”

* * *

* * *

 

The last few days had been immensely stressful for Izuna. Sasuke was in pain though he tried to hide it well, and she

was not his beloved Sakura, able to heal and soothe him. She made certain he was clean and fed and as comfortable

as possible, tried to avert her eyes as she ran a washcloth over his chest and down his muscular arms and back while

he sighed, tried to ease his boredom by quizzing him on battle techniques and telling him folk stories from other clans. 

He seemed content enough, maybe even desiring her company.

She wanted to speak to him about changing their relationship or exploring it, but he was healing now and it wasn’t the right time.

Then the incident after her shower happened, and it was too much.

It still wasn’t the right time, and she tried to respect that, but the desire on his face and his bare torso tensed as if to spring

on her gave her the choice of running or giving in.

She ran, about five steps, before closing the bathroom door behind her.

She half prayed he would come after her and drag her back to bed before having his way, but he didn’t. After a while, she

took his bathrobe and wrapped it around her, shunshinning downstairs to sleep in the guest room and asking Karin to watch

over him while she slept. The next morning the meeting came, and she put her best foot forward on his behalf, hoping it would

make up for her strange behavior. She vowed to talk to him when she returned, right time or not.

The elders were difficult, well aware of the Hokage’s previous ire with him over their team mate.

Then Shisui began flashing his eyes at her during the meeting.

Fugaku called to him once it was over and seemed upset with him, but their conversation was brief before the clan head

turned away on his heel, Shisui’s black eyes finding her again.

“I’ll walk you back, Izuna-chan.”, he stated, putting an arm about her shoulder.

He was close and warm and she should probably pull away. “What were you trying to tell me in there?”, she asked.

Shisui gave her a concerned glance,“He fucked Karin while you were gone.”

The Uchiha woman halted, stunned. 

Realizing he could’ve handled that much better, Shisui took her by the hand to continue leading her home, other arm still

around her shoulder.

He was telling her softly it would be OK when they heard someone calling. “Izuna-san!”

She turned to see a Hyuuga woman waving her down, the man with her was one who escorted her back to Konoha.

She gave a nod in greeting as Shisui drew back from her, clenching her hands together to keep them from shaking and

biting her lip to clear her eyes of the threatening tears from what she’d heard just a moment ago.

“Hi, Hinata-san.”, Shisui greeted, giving Izuna the name of the woman who approached her.

“What can I do for you, HInata-san?”, Izuna asked, noting the woman’s puzzled frown as she looked her over, almost as

if she could see the storm brewing within her.

Perhaps she could.

Hinata and Neji shared a glance, the branch member speaking this time,”Actually, we were looking to speak to Sasuke-san, at once.”

“What’s the emergency, guys?”, Shisui asked.

Hinata answered,”Oh, I’m sorry Shisui-san. It’s only a matter for clan heirs.Is he at home?”

Shisui’s eyes narrowed. Why was she lying to him?

“You can come with us.”,Izuna offered, glad for an excuse to prevent her emotional outburst.

For now.

* * *

* * *

 

Sasuke picked up the strips of cloth, smoothing them straight.

Karin had left him to deal with this on his own, or had run off to tell Izuna first.

When Sasuke sensed his wife’s chakra headed his way, turbulent and confused, all he wanted to do was run and hide.

It was so unfair for him to face this again. It hurt so much the first time, when he undoubtedly deserved it with Sakura, and

he knew the few who had given him the benefit of the doubt before would certainly damn him now.

Yet, the last time he learned a lot, and at the very least he would do it right _this_ time, with one little exception.

He replaced the bandages over his eyes, knowing he would not be able to bear seeing that gut wrenching look of betrayal

directed at him again.

He cringed as he felt who had come inside the house once he finished his handiwork.

Not only was Shisui with her, but Naruto’s girlfriend was here too, and worst of all Neji. 

When it rains it pours.

A soft knock came to the door to which he replied,”Enter.”

It wasn’t Izuna who came to see him. He felt a slight pressure in his ears. 

She’d sealed the room.

“Hello, Sasuke-san.”, came the gentle voice of Hinata. 

Her veined eyes scanned him, finding him absent of the seal.

“How?”, she asked.

“Clone.”, Sasuke responded,”Did you come to give me another?”

“Never.”, Hinata grit out, surprising Sasuke with the force of her voice.

“Then why are you here?”, he asked, feeling emotionally drained and wanting whatever this was over with so he could

get on with his apologies.

”I just need to know if Karin was in the room when they sealed the clone.”

“Why?”, the Uchiha said testily, not in the mood for further games or to be left in the dark.

Hinata flinched, but pressed forward.Neji was going to be furious with her, but she knew if Sasuke had avoided the sealing

in the first place he knew something. Best to risk bringing him into her confidence than have him working against her because

she withheld the truth, “I’ve promised to deliver the solution for the seal in exchange for the release of my clan’s cursed seal.”

Sasuke’s brows rose, speaking after a moment of thought,”That would be treason against your clan.”

The Hyuuga woman remained silent, waiting.

When Sasuke seemed to have nothing further to say about it, she told him,”I am also sealed to another Hyuuga. N-Naruto and I, well, we’re..”

Sasuke wanted to roll his eyes at this babbling of hers. He wasn’t an idiot. ”I understand. Why don’t you know how to undo it?”

“Father doesn’t trust me, and I g-guess he’s right not to.”, she said, nearly a whisper.

Sasuke easily connected the dots.”You made this deal with Orochimaru.”, he stated.”You want to know if she’s taken what you

had to offer him in exchange?”

Hinata clenched her fists. There was no turning back now,“Yes.”

“She didn’t.”, Sasuke replied, feeling a little bit better about being played by the redhead now. Not entirely, but this helped.

“I saw all of it. I can show you.”

Hinata’s eyes widened,”Really?”

Sasuke nodded,“I’ll give it to you,”, he said,”but I want three things in return.”

A few minutes later, Hinata patted his shoulder, saying softly,“I’ll try Sasuke-san.”

* * *

* * *

 

Neji was huffing with impatience just outside, debating on whether to burst into Sasuke’s room and drag Hinata back

to the compound before they were missed.

_What’s taking so long?!_

Finally, the door opened and HInata came out, immediately wrapping him in a tight embrace.

He swallowed but allowed it for a moment before pulling away, patting her head awkwardly.

“He has it, didn’t let her see it. He’ll give us what we need, Neji-kun.”, she whispered.

He was incredulous,“Are you sure HInata-sama?”

She nodded, and Neji’s whole body vibrated with the possibility of being free, of making things right and seeing a well deserved,

happy future for his cousin.”I’ll go home to pack.”, he said, looking into her eyes for confirmation.

”You’re not going alone.”, she replied, nodding toward Sasuke’s door,”and there’s no rush.” Her lilac eyes moved to the

distraught looking woman sitting with Shisui at the kitchen table.“He asked for some things in return that might take a while.”

* * *

* * *

 

Itachi didn’t know many powerful shinobi who would sit down with a little girl and play dolls with her, except perhaps

himself,Shisui, and _maybe_ Naruto. Watching Orochimaru do this with Saika was giving him the dangerous idea that he

should reassess his opinion of the Snake Sannin.

_I should go check on Sakura._

Just as he stood to do so, his wife knocked on the doorframe before she stepped inside.

Her troubled expression changed only slightly as she took in the scene before her.

The Sannin turned to regard her,“Ah, Sakura-chan, this is Saika-chan. Say hello, Saika-chan.”

”Hello.”, the girl said curtly, back to her toys without another glance in the pinkette’s direction.

Orochimaru’s eyes twinkled at her catty behavior, his words directly at odds with them.

”You should be more polite. This is Itachi-sama’s wife.”

Sakura didn’t have time for this, whatever it was,”Kimimaro-san is in terrible shape. I can see you’ve done alot for him

already, but I should get started right away. It could be a long night and I’ll need some supplies.”

The Sannin stood, “Of course. Come with me.” 

Itachi wondered if they were just going to leave him here with Saika. 

The door shut behind them and the seal sprang back to life, locking him in. 

So that was a yes.

He could feel the girl’s curious eyes on him.

 When he turned to meet them, they were red with a single tomoe.

“Can yours..?” she managed before he subdued her, darting over and catching her head before it hit the floor.

Feeling terrible about making a young child who looked up to him unconscious, he decided when he woke her he’d warn

the girl not to surprise him that way and find a way to make it up to her. The opportunity to examine her memories for intel

while no one was present to stop him was impossible to pass up. 

Where had she come from? Who was her mother? Why was she here and being treated as a daughter?

What did the Sannin want with her and why had he called him the clan head?

Itachi held the girl in his arms, eyes spinning red, shuffling through her few years.

* * *

* * *

 

Orochimaru gave a languid grin in Sakura’s direction as the forward striding medic walked just ahead of him.

“Did Kimimaro have anything interesting to say, Sakura-chan?”

Sakura gave a wry smirk. Orochimaru had known he would talk.

“Who’s his mother?”, she asked,”and why does he want us to kill her?”

”Killing her, I’m fairly sure, is not possible. However, we can seal a piece of her away, a piece of her that’s here.”

Sakura halted, turning to him,”What do you mean a piece of her?”

Orochimaru shrugged,”Izumi-chan may or may not be as troubled as she seems. Because of the exchange your dear husband

offered, I entered her body on our way back and found a black, otherworldly evil within her.Kimimaro can sense it’s presence here.

To an extent, so can I.”

The pinkette folded her arms in skepticism, raising an eyebrow,” A black, otherworldly evil? For a man of science, that’s a

strange thing to say.”

The Sannin smirked,”I suppose it is, Sakura-chan, but true nonetheless.”

They began walking again in comfortable silence, until Sakura decided to ask him about the exchange in the girl’s room.

“Why did you call Itachi-kun that?”

Golden eyes honed in on her expression,“You mean calling him Itachi-sama?”

“Yes.”

Orochimaru placed a hand on her shoulder, amused at her cringing.

”All in good time, Sakura-chan. He may be able to tell you when we return.”

The pink haired girl looked pointedly at his hand on her shoulder, face becoming red with anger.

He supposed he better tell her why he stopped here before she caused a scene. He removed his hand and pointed at the

door to the right,“This is the main medical supply chamber. Right this way.”

* * *

* * *

 

Tsunade picked up the bottle of Sake the Kazekage had given Kakashi the day he was inaugurated as Hokage, topping

off her glass. The Sixth frowned, but refrained from chiding her. She hadn’t even asked, but he needed her help.

“Their leader came to tell me they’re attacking Orochimaru’s base in winter.”, he informed, awaiting her response.

The busty blonde nodded before downing her glass.Once she set it down, she asked,”Think that will give them enough

time to haul their asses back to Konoha?”

Kakashi shook his head,”Lady Tsunade, do you honestly think they would tell us the truth about when they plan to strike,

knowing some of our people are there?”

The Slug Sannin smiled broadly at him as she poured another cup,”Of course not. You’ve really gotten the hang of this, brat.

Any ideas?”

The Rokudaime replied,”That’s why I called you. This isn’t an ordinary rogue faction we’re dealing with here.”

Tsunade frowned,”Where’s Jaraiya? He said he would shadow them.”

Kakashi refrained from pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration,"He never told _me_ this. Maybe next time you could do me

a favor and remind him you're not Hokage anymore."

 

 


	39. Treason

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fugaku attempts to correct and protect his family, Itachi is confronted with a difficult choice, Shisui is invited into a dangerous game, and Sasuke and Izuna have a talk. Karin is stalked and caught by another leaf nin.

Fugaku was furious when Kakashi refused to send anyone out to find Karin but Sasuke, and the  Rokudaime wouldn’t 

budge. Kakashi had his arms crossed, a stern and authoritative look on his face,“I realize his position within the clan, 

but in all honesty this  _ is _ his fault.”

Tsunade bit her tongue, not quite sure how long she could hold it, watching the exchange with interest.

The Uchiha clan head realized he was in a losing battle. The Sannin was here watching and Kakashi would not back down

in front of her. His son wasn’t the Fifth or Sixth’s favorite person by a mile, and hearing more of the same that angered them

in the first place wasn’t helping. He could go to the council, but he knew the Copy Nin would just drag it out until he gave in. 

“Sasuke is still recovering from surgery.”, Tsunade interjected.

“Let’s bring Izuna-san here.”, Kakashi offered. “We’ll go over the details with her as soon as she arrives.”

“Very well.”, Fugaku conceded, turning to leave. The situation was humiliating, but something had to reign Sasuke in. 

Maybe if his wife heard of this it would correct his wandering.  He would not dare do such a thing to Mikoto and face her. 

Of course he had other things to hide, things that would also be hard to face her with, and despite his irritation and anger

with his youngest, he didn’t envy his son at all. He wasn’t entirely sure he was much better, and he found himself without the

energy to be upset with Sasuke. Maybe he was getting too old for this.

All he wanted just now was to crawl into bed with the girl of his dreams and watch her sleep  for the ten thousandth time.

* * *

* * *

“Saika-chan. Wake up.” , Itachi said softly. The girl roused, blinking and stretching sleepily.

The first year of her life had been spent in the container Orochimaru’s experiments were often  housed in as they grew, 

kept alive after Izuna lost her, inside it rather than a womb. 

The Snake Sannin saved her life and was one of the few people who could, but also stole her away. 

Itachi had seen many things that hurt him in the memories of others, but this was different. Saika was family.The girl adored 

the man she called father now, and Itachi found nothing to give him any reason to assume the Sannin didn’t feel the same way about her.

He felt it his duty to take her back to Konoha, but the curse of hatred could easily infect  this girl if she lost the only parent 

she’s known and lost contact with every friend she grew  up with. Orochimaru would surely come for her, punish Konoha 

for taking the child he stole from his family and the village.

What was the right thing? What would hurt everyone the least?

Sadly, it might be best to destroy her.

Unless, somehow, he could live with himself allowing what Orochimaru had prepared her for.

* * *

* * *

Hinata approached the kitchen table, placing a dainty hand on Izuna’s shoulder.

“Izuna-san, I’d like to speak to you.”

The Uchiha woman flinched at the touch, stood suddenly, and walked away.

Hinata watched Izuna walk up the stairs, ready to pursue her, when she felt a hand 

wrap around her wrist. She gave a pleading glance to Shisui to let go, but he shook

 his head. “Let them handle it.”, he said.

HInata obeyed and sat down at the table, putting her head in her hands.

Sasuke felt her coming. He stood to face her, knowing Hinata hadn’t had time to speak  to Izuna about any of this. 

She didn’t knock. The door flew open, slammed shut, and he  heard her steps march toward him. Fury rolled off her in waves,

making his heart pound in his chest as she stopped just before him. 

He tilted his head to acknowledge her presence though his eyes were still mercifully bandaged.

Izuna slapped him hard, leaving both their ears ringing with the sound and being sure it left a handprint on his cheek.

He felt the sting of it, but took the blow solemnly.

“Why?”, she demanded, anger and hurt in her voice.  Izuna’s sharingan was active, scanning him fervently for deception.

“I made a mistake.”, he replied.”She said you asked her to. I’m sorry.”

They stood in silence for a while. 

“Did you want her before this?”, she asked.  He was scared, certain of rejection, but wanted her to know. There were too many

things he had wanted to say to Sakura that she would now never know. Not again.

“I thought of you when...”, he stumbled, realizing what he had been about to say to her.  “I wanted it to be you.”, he finally got out.

Sasuke heard her breath pick up again, steeling himself for another strike.  He stood still as he felt something come his direction,

steadfast in his decision  to withstand her anger.

At last, something connected.  Soft, sweet, warm lips prodding his own. 

His heart dared to hope, just a little. Tentatively, he kissed her back.  At last she drew back from him, and he mourned the loss of her.

“Why?”, he asked her, a little breathless as his palm cupped her cheek.

Izuna decided this was easier to say without his onyx eyes peering at her.

“I wanted you too.”, she replied, voice breaking.

Sasuke slid his hand to her jaw, gently drawing her lips toward him again before  she came to her senses and realized he didn’t deserve her.

That was it wasn’t it?

He needed to deserve her. He couldn’t accept forgiveness this easily.

A soft moan came from her parted lips as she leaned into the kiss, reaching to  draw him closer, but Sasuke rested his 

palms on her shoulders to keep her from  pressing into him, pulling back slowly before resting his forehead on hers.

“Izuna?”

“Hmm?” she asked, still dazed from the kiss.

“I’ve been told you allowed yourself to be sealed to me. Why?”

Izuna did not answer him.

“I have to go on a mission.”, he said,”I might not return from it. I want you to allow Hinata to remove the seal.”

“How can you go on a mission? Your eyes are still healing and..” Izuna paused, watching as he  removed his bandages.”What are you doing?!”

* * *

* * *

Neji didn’t complain that Sasuke would accompany him to deliver the seal, the Uchiha’s first request granted.

Izuna had not given her a chance to complete the second task. Now she had to find a way to handle the third.

“Why did you lie to me earlier?”, Shisui asked, watching her from across the table.

The Hyuuga woman looked up at him cautiously. 

Sasuke was one thing, but Shisui was too close to Fugaku, unless…

“I can’t explain it to you,”, she said, bringing a hand up to bite at her nail then remembering her manners and bringing it back

down,”but I can show you. Can you keep a secret?”

Shisui had plenty of experience with requests that started like this.  “How much trouble could I be in if I helped you?”

The expression on her face said everything.

Shisui leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest.  ” _ Why _ would I want to help you?”

Hinata stood,”Come with me. I’ll tell you on the way.”

Shisui shook his head, pointing to Sasuke’s room,”What about them?”

Hinata activated her bakugan towards the room, blushing scarlet at what she saw, “Th-They’re h-handling it.”

“But my aunt is here too.”, Shisui complained.

“Fugaku-sama is on his way here.”, Hinata countered worriedly,”I’d rather not be here when he arrives.”

Shisui nodded once,”I’ll meet you outside the compound in an hour.”

The Hyuuga heiress stood,”Alright, Shisui-san.”

* * *

* * *

The last bandage fell away, and Sasuke’s eyes widened at the sight of her.

Surely the elder’s held a begrudging respect for acquiring such a beautiful wife.

Izuna blushed under his gaze, averting her eyes.

Sakura was heartachingly beautiful, but she would not have worn what Izuna was wearing on principal. While he would

never have blamed her for that, Izuna’s traditional attire before the elders surely made life easier for him in the long run. 

He was grateful.

“Thank you.”, he said sincerely, eyes softening at her letting go of her pride to assist him.

Izuna frowned, realizing he could see her clearly,”You bit her, didn’t you?”

Perhaps now was a terrible time to let his eyes greedily drink her in,”Hn.”

She withdrew, sitting on the bed, looking out the window.

Sasuke sighed inwardly,  _ Always a big step forward and a few back with her. _

He would need to be patient, take things slow.

“What does your mission entail?”, she asked.

* * *

* * *

Fugaku had come straight to his room, only a cursory glance in Shisui’s direction.

“Uncle,” , he called,”I have business to attend to in the village. Is everything alright?”

The clan head looked over wearily,”Tell Izuna-chan the Hokage wishes to speak to her, then you may go.”

Shisui nodded, his brow furrowed slightly in concern. His elder appeared to have the world on his shoulders and wasn’t 

seeking out Sasuke to reprimand him.

Once Fugaku closed the door to the room he shared with his wife, Shisui turned down the hall and made his way to Sasuke’s room.

Fugaku bent down at Mikoto’s bedside, looking into her beautiful face, hoping they would get through it if by some grand 

stroke of misfortune she ever found out what he’d done. She might forgive him for doing it to her. He trusted her, knew she 

was strong, but bad things happen to kunoichi sometimes.Of course he knew how other men looked at her, and he had genuine 

faults, but it was hard to admit he’d been frightened she would fall into the arms of another someday. 

Today, he could acknowledge the truth. Her seal had never been disturbed, and there was no doubt Itachi and Sasuke were his sons. 

She had lain with no other her whole life. 

She was very unlikely to truly forgive him for sealing off Itachi. If Itachi came back….  _ when he came back _ , he told himself, he

would have the seal on his son removed and seal Sakura to him.

In Sasuke’s case, his behavior coming to light could save him, make him a better man.

In his own…. well, it would just always have to remain a secret. No good would come of it otherwise.

* * *

* * *

Shisui scribbled a note and slipped it under the door, not wanting to get in the middle of whatever Sasuke and Izuna were working out.

The room was sealed. They wouldn't be able to tell him anything anyway without opening the door.

_ The Hokage wants to see you Izuna-chan. Go as quickly as you can. _

_ -Shisui _

He took one last look behind him, then made his way to meet Hinata. The Hyuuga girl was speaking with her cousin when he approached. 

Once the branch member saw him, he nodded in acknowledgement and headed further into the village, leaving the two of them standing alone.

Shisui looked at the heiress expectantly,”So what’s this all about?”

Hinata took a breath and began prefacing their expedition,“Did you know Itachi-san had a seal, something that only let him breed with his intended?”

The Uchiha scoffed and shook his head,”No way. He would’ve known.”

_ So they didn’t know., _ she thought _.They would soon enough. _

“He did. I saw it.”, she insisted.

Shisui didn’t believe it. His best friend was sterile, but that wasn’t her business.  He’d play along, though. “Who was he sealed to?”

She didn’t have the answer to that and was certain there was only one way to find out.  Hinata rubbed her temples at the 

question that had been bothering her mind ever  since Naruto told her about Sasuke’s child with Itachi’s former fiance,”Izumi should 

have been sealed to Itachi-san. He was a clan heir and engaged to her.” 

“She broke the engagement.”, Shisui informed her.

Her eyes met Shisui’s, full of questions.”She got pregnant, Shisui-san, because she never had a seal. Itachi-san’s seals have

stayed the same all this time.Why?” 

Shisui frowned. If she was telling the truth, that was a valid question.

“Let’s ask Fugaku-sama.”, the Uchiha offered.

“He already knows.”, Hinata said, “I’ll prove it to you.” She stopped then, nodding to a nondescript building within the compound.

”The records of all the sealings are there.”

“Is there any way Izumi could’ve known about this?”, the dark haired man asked, not having to guess much at what the 

woman’s reaction might be if she did.

Hinata knew from experience the seals were administered against one’s will or not. Lady Mayoki noted that she had refused

her own with a look of pitying disapproval in her eyes, jotted it down in her record book. Of course, her refusal meant nothing in the end.

There were likely some who knew, may be angry enough to have told her. 

“Maybe. Some of us were awake when the seal was administered.Someone could have told her, a Hyuuga maybe.”

“How do we get the records out of there?”, he wondered, realizing the building that looked like nothing special was heavily guarded.

Hinata shook her head,”We don’t. They’ll be destroyed the instant they leave the building.”

Shisui looked at her wide eyed,”So we’re just supposed to sit in there and read it?”

“That wouldn’t be good enough, Shisui-san.”, Hinata replied. “We need a sharingan user to record it.” 

Shisui looked as if he was about to back out. This wasn’t just treason, this was stealing clan secrets from the Hyuuga.

 Hinata bit her lip, then said,”I don’t have to tell you what will happen to me if you tell anyone I approached you if you decide not to help.”

The Uchiha swallowed thickly,”I won’t tell, Hinata-san. Just...just let me think about this.”

Hinata nodded, watching Shisui turn back toward the Uchiha district.

He stopped, but didn’t turn around,”Hinata-san?”

“Yes?”

“Do I have a seal?”

The Hyuuga woman smiled softly,”You do, Shisui-san.”

* * *

* * *

 

 

“Funny seeing you here.”

Karin didn’t recognize the voice behind and above her. She kept walking, ignoring it but  having a sinking feeling it was meant for her. 

She heard a rustle in the trees, coming closer.  A man dropped down in front of her, brown almond shaped eyes and tousled brown hair.

”Too good to talk to another one of Orochimaru’s experiments?”, he asked.

“I’m not an experiment.”, Karin retorted, taking a step back. “Who are you?”

The man cleared his throat, took a bow,”I’m Tenzo.”

Karin gave him an unimpressed look,”OK, Tenzo-san. Have a nice life.” She turned and began walking away. 

Feeling something catch on her ankle, she took a tumble, landing flat on her face.  She grunted in frustration, looking back and 

noticing a vine was tangled around her leg, “Dammit!”

“Try all you want,”, the man said, suddenly looming over her,”you won’t be going far. Now, where is Orochimaru hiding?”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	40. Unfriendly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neji and Shisui square off, Sasuke gives a brief detail of his quest, Izuna makes some decisions and visits Hokage tower, Izumi loses her inner guest, Izuna and Naruto break up a fight, the Akatsuki leave Jaraiya behind with a spy, Itachi tries to bring peace between his wife and Saika, and between he and his own worried thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to another chapter! Hope everyone is enjoying. One of the comments requested I post this on fanfiction and I will be doing that on Tuesday. Thank you for all the support!

Neji Hyuuga’s pale eyes tracked Shisui as he made his way through the village once more.

It was clear by the look on Hinata’s face as he walked away what his answer was.

He couldn’t let Shisui return to tell Fugaku. Not when they were this close.

 

Shisu strode purposefully toward home, then halted, turning his head towards the training grounds.

After a moment of consideration, he headed toward training ground ten instead.

He found a peaceful place to sit near the stream that flowed through it. The trees scented the air and waved through the

breeze, the birds of the night were awakening, the setting sun and the trickle of water was relaxing. The only thing disturbing

him were the eyes on him he knew were there. He was likely to beat Hyuuga Neji, but one could never be sure. 

Shisui dropped his head in his hands. “Shit.”, he muttered, wondering what to do.

 He felt Neji coming closer, not bothering to hide his chakra at all now. He threw a pebble into the stream in frustration

before standing to face his oncoming opponent.

_Here he comes.._

Silently, Neji landed on the stream’s edge. An impassive face framed by dark silken hair regarded the Uchiha on the other side.

“Are you going to kill me now?”, Shisui asked.

Neji tilted his head,”Do I have to try?”

“What did they do to you two?”, Shisui asked softly, hoping to talk instead of fight this time.

He was answered only with silence, the Hyuuga adopting a graceful fighting stance, Byakugan activated.

“Is it really worth this?”, Shisui tried once more. There had to be another way. He _would_ defend himself.

“More.”, the Hyuuga answered, then darted forward.

Shisui activated his Sharingan just in time to see the first strike coming.

* * *

* * *

 

“It’s not an official mission.”, Sasuke replied.”The Hyuuga have a problem they need my help with, something that might

help my brother and….Sakura.” A sadness came over Sasuke’s eyes then, more certain than ever now,”Probably Naruto, too.”

This sounded like a bad idea already to Izuna,“So you’re just going to run away? Do this without permission and leave me here?”

Sasuke huffed in irritation, but looked at her meaningfully,”I’m tired of letting the people who care about me down. This concerns you too.”

Izuna’s eyes widened at this, but became slits again once she saw Sasuke’s amused smirk at her reaction.

 Cocky bastard. 

He raised an eyebrow at her,”Do you not care about me, Izuna?”

The Uchiha woman crossed her arms indignantly,”Right now, I hate you.”

Part of Sasuke wished she did, but it clearly wasn’t true. He stepped toward her, crowding her  as she sulked on the bed.

He bent down to her ear to whisper in it, closing his eyes at how good she smelled but refraining from breathing her in like

he wanted,”Please don’t.”

Izuna shivered at his proximity, needing to escape. She scooted across the bed away from him.

She stood on the other side of it, noticing the slip of paper under the door.

 Izuna picked it up.

“What is it?”, Sasuke asked, watching her eyes scan the note.

“I’ve been called to Hokage tower.”, she replied, handing the slip of paper to him as he strode to her.

Sasuke stiffened upon reading it. He sat on the bed, rubbing his temple.

“Izuna, I need you to keep the pair of Hyuuga that came with you a secret.”

His wife put her hands on her hips,“Why?”

“Promise me and I’ll tell you.”

She made a decision in seconds,”I promise.”

For the next few minutes, he explained to her that the seal was being misused, that it’s release could free a sect of

Hyuuga from enslavement and torture.“What does this have to do with Itachi-san and his wife, or Naruto-san?”, she asked.

“I’ll tell you when you get back.”, he said, studying the carpet.

Izuna nodded,“Stay here, Sasuke-kun. Hide your healing until I return. Do you trust me?”

The Uchiha heir looked away but nodded,”I will.”

Sasuke stood and turned to watch her go, wondering what was going through that mind of hers.

His hand twitched at his side, wanting to reach for her and kiss her again before she left, but he stayed his hand.

The door shut behind her, her steps quick down the stairs.

Being slapped and kissed within a few moments of seeing his wife after what happened had been incredibly disorienting.

Her withdrawal over a detail of his coupling with the redhead he would never have told her about under any other circumstances

had been disconcerting, but all he could do was stand strong and be consistent if and until she learned to trust him, and keep his

hands to himself until then. He wanted her just as badly as he had before, as if he’d had no relief at all, and for a moment when

he leaned over her all he wanted was to push her down on the bed and show her that.

He knew better, but couldn’t quite figure out what to do next.He wished his brother was here. He needed all the help he could get.

Maybe, when he saw him again, he would ask him how to make things better.

Knowing Sakura, they’d have had at least one fight by now.

* * *

* * *

 

Itachi looked at the young girl, black eyes intent on her.

 “Tell me about your mother, Saika-chan.”

The girl smiled.”Father says my mommy…”, she trailed off, seeing Sakura appear once again.

She frowned, turning away. Itachi looked up to his wife, seeing her pink brows pinch together at the girl’s reaction to her presence.

 She crouched down, reaching for her,”What’s wrong Saika-chan?”

The girl ignored Sakura again, looking to Itachi,”I don’t like her. Tell her to go away.”

Sakura’s eyebrows rose, meeting her husband’s glance. He nodded at her to leave.

Frowning, she stood and made her way back to Kimimaro’s room.

“Please be kind to my wife, Saika-chan.”, he told the child, a touch of disapproval in his voice.

The girl’s frown deepened,”Father likes her. He looks at her like he used to look at my mommy.”

Itachi tried not to get his hackles up, giving the girl a smile he hoped was reassuring.

”Sakura-san is a very loyal wife, Saika-chan. We love each other.”

The girl regarded him doubtfully. 

Itachi wasn’t vain, but knew the Sannin was not competition.

Holding back a chuckle at the thought, he stood and took the girl’s hand,“Let’s go see if we can help her with your friend.”

After an hour of Sakura healing Kimimaro while her two helpers fetched her this and that, Saika approached the bed,

looking hopefully at her endangered playmate,”Are you better yet Kimimaro-kun?” The Kaguya reached out a trembling

hand and carded it through the girls wild hair, a weak smile on his lips,”Sakura-san is working very hard to help me, little one.”

The girl crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Sakura,”When can he play with me again? You’re taking too long.”

Sakura was trying to be patient and save this man, but the girl was wearing on her last nerve.

The rejection was starting to get to her, especially in front of the man she would like to have a family with someday.

Was this how a typical Uchiha child acted?

Through gritted teeth, she responded,”Why don’t you play with Itachi-san for now?”

Itachi’s heart sunk with disappointment at this, knowing it was the best course of action but worried Sakura would overdo it

and need assistance getting to bed. “Just for a little while, Saika-chan.”, he agreed.

Once the two had departed to roam about the compound, Sakura took a moment to wipe her brow and take a drink of water.

She approached the bed again, startling when Kimimaro grabbed her sleeve in a panic,”Mother is here.”

* * *

* * *

 

Izumi heard Kabuto’s footfalls heading to her cell. At first, she had thought perhaps gaining his affection would facilitate an escape.

He used her, but his affection lie elsewhere and changing it wasn’t possible. Finally he’d let her way out slip, confessing a desire to

dispose of her sister, but that Orochimaru would have killed him for it. It was clearly out of jealousy though he would not admit it.

Izuna had been Orochimaru’s favored person, and Izumi was anything but. The Sannin had what he wanted from her, was only

keeping her alive for the sake of a promise. If she made Kabuto angry enough, maybe he would get rid of her, let her go because

he was tired of caring for her.

She waited for her shadow to give it’s opinion of her plan.

For the first time in her life, there was only silence.

Emptiness poured into her as Kabuto opened her cell door, ready to take her again.

* * *

* * *

 

The longer Itachi walked with Saika, hearing her babble excitedly, the more his mind wandered to what she had said earlier.

When had Orochimaru looked at Sakura like that? How did he miss it? Did Sakura see it? She never said anything, given a hint of it.

He’d been right there the whole time, and a _child_ had noticed it. Maybe the girl was mistaken?

An unbidden image of the Sannin touching his wife invaded his mind and he pushed it away.

That was ridiculous, wasn’t it? Despite Orochimaru’s appearance, he certainly seemed confident about his ability to seduce married women.

Sakura would never do that, would she? Of course not.

Right?

He could feel his face burning. “Let’s go back, Saika-chan.”

* * *

* * *

 

Izuna wished she’d changed her shoes before leaving the room. 

She slowed her pace to Hokage tower to save the ache of running in them.

Sasuke had been entirely sincere in everything he said. Karin was gone, and Shisui knew.

His clone had seen her leave the room with a used condom, standard practice for her extraction missions.

That was sloppy of her, but the Hyuuga were at the door.

There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that Sasuke was a victim of extraction now.

What was Orochimaru planning? It wasn’t hard to know what the Sannin cared about and worked towards. He made that

very plain and never deviated from it in all the years she knew him. He wanted to destroy death, solve the puzzle of his

deity: creation itself, and find someone to give that knowledge to that he deemed worthwhile. 

How did her husband fit in to that?

She shook her head, thinking of what Orochimaru would say about her worrying, immediately forgiving herself for doing it

after all the years she spent with him. Should she worry now? What was there to lose, and why was she hoping?

Well, she was human, wasn’t she? Certainly not as strong as some.

She remembered her grieving like it was yesterday:

_They were standing in a field of violet flowers, the wind blowing through their clothes and ruffling their long hair as her tears streamed_

_down her cheeks._

_The Sannin had brought her outside to look at the fields after finding her placing a rope around her neck. He did not get visibly upset,_

_just gently and calmly removed her noose and led her outside. After a long period of silence on his part and desperate tears on her_

_own, he spoke._ _“Losing someone dear to us, especially one we had hope in, never ceases to sting. Yet, no life is lived in vain.”_

_He turned to smile at her then, looking her over, “Even those lived only a short while have value, because they remind us that there is_

_no real hope….except life. They remind us that we are better off not to wish for things that can’t be, just enjoy the things that are while_

_they are still here, and expect nothing but what is in front of us.”_

_“What do I have then?”, she asked, quivering and bereft, aching for her own death._

_“Whatever you wish, as long as it exists to give you and as long as you live to receive it.”, he replied, reptilian eyes_

_knowing with a strange_ _compassion within them._

_Izuna dug her nails into her fists, asking for what she wanted now more than anything, an escape from a life she found_

_unbearable as the sole_ _survivor of the little family she had made,_ _“I want to die, today, tomorrow, or any moment I choose.”_

After all this time, she understood that she had wanted control over a life that had spiraled out of it.

The Sannin knew this well enough.

_He nodded in agreement, a cool hand coming to rest on her shoulder that she didn’t have the will to flinch from,”Yes, but if_

_I have anything to_ _say about it Izuna-chan, a piece of you will live always. Not everyone has to die. Not anymore.”_

_He meant it, she knew. He wouldn’t let the earth be scrubbed of her, and he could make good on the promise he implied._

_He could remake her, force her to live over and over._

_Alive and in this body, she could at least control how much of that went._

 

For two years, she did not share his joy of life, hated him for sweeping death away from her.

 

Now, she wanted to live and it was before her, and after everything that she had lost, the foolish hope of life for the few

moments it was here being taken from those around her burned her heart. The last ten years had pounded it in to her brain

that beyond the bloodline all were human, deserving love and life as they saw fit. A valid fear or coveting of a bloodline

trait didn’t make forced or limited breeding right. Orochimaru intended to breed a force that could overwhelm the current

population, but only to free it from clan control.

Maybe that was it. Probably.

Strangely enough, her new husband was also on a mission to do the same through different means: sabotage and exposure.

Izuna admitted this was infinitely kinder, but feared his punishment from the culture of Konoha if he and the Hyuuga members succeed.

Ultimately,she was on the side of the man she married, even if it only amounted to him having moral support and a reliable ally.

The world was a cold, hard place without one, and she was no stranger to uncomfortable alliances. 

With head held high, she knocked on the Hokage’s door. 

The fox Anbu opened it, and she greeted him and the Hokage respectfully.

The first words the Sixth said to her beyond a brief welcome were,”So, does Sasuke know the enemy has what it needs to

impregnate a woman with the Sharingan now that he’s been with one and she’s absconded with his seed?”

Izuna bristled.

Her cheeks burned with humiliation at the conversation, the Anbu in the corner clearly uncomfortable as well.

At least it got Sasuke a good excuse to leave the village, and she was able to talk the Rokudaime into Neji accompanying him.

Now all she had to do was find something she could hit other than her husband or the Copy nin, and find a way to fall asleep

without seething all night. Sasuke was being ordered to see Karin again, chase her down. They would be leaving soon and

she would have plenty of time to be angry later.

She should never have kissed him, even if it had felt wonderful. Even if the feel of his lips on hers, the earnest sorrow in his eyes

at betraying her, the way he took a breath at the sight of her, were things that wouldn’t be rooted from her mind.

The Anbu followed her outside the door, removing his mask.

Blue eyes regarded her, trying to find the words,”Hey, Izuna-chan. Um, I don’t know what happened, but I know Sasuke likes you alot.”

“It’s alright.”, she replied. 

The jinchuriki gave her a look that told her he clearly didn’t believe that.

Izuna changed the subject,”Shisui told me to come here. Where is he now?”

Naruto shrugged,” I can help you find him. I’m off duty now.”

The Uchiha woman beamed her pretty smile at him, and it made the Uzimaki shake his head at the foolishness of his friend.

“Thank you, Naruto-kun.”

* * *

* * *

 

 Neji was headed for the final strike, when he was clobbered by a small shoe thrown at high velocity.

His hand flew to his swelling forehead, stunned and looking around for his attacker, noticing Shisui rubbing the back of

his own head and looking around.

His byakugan was deactivated and vision blurred. Neji’s feet were suddenly swept out from underneath and he fell, a hard

weight settling on his stomach. ”Whattya guys tryna do? Kill each other?”

Neji recognized that voice. He stayed down, avoiding eye contact,”Forgive me, Naruto-kun.”

“It’s fine.”, Naruto said, flashing him a smile that made Neji flinch, helping him to stand.

“What’s going on here?!”, a now barefoot Izuna demanded.

Both men volunteered nothing.

Izuna scowled, turning to her blonde escort,“Go home Naruto-kun. I’ve got this.”

The blonde looked confused,”B-but..”

Izuna activated her Sharingan, giving each of the previous opponents a fierce glare,“Don’t worry, they won’t defy me without

paying for it.”, she warned.

Blue eyes went wide, wanting to get away from the suddenly terrifying female. “Good luck guys.”, he said over his shoulder,

hastily making his exit. Once Naruto was out of earshot, Izuna looked at Shisui.

”We have to help them, Shisui-kun. It’s only right.”

Shisui’s eyes were still on Neji,”Izuna-chan, if we get caught..”

“We will.”, she replied,”It’s the right thing to do, and you know it is. It won’t count if we don’t take responsibility. Sasuke is ready to do so.”

Shisui balked,”How do we even know these seals are real?”

Neji spoke up, “She has her own seal, to Sasuke-san.”

 

* * *

* * *

 

“Where’s Jaraiya-sama?”, Konan asked, looking around the camp.

Yahiko chuckled,”Peeking at the bath house again, most likely.” 

Diedara walked up, clearing his throat to get Nagato’s attention.“I’ve found her.”, he said, handing their leader the coordinance.

Nagato looked it over and nodded,”After I have her I’m leaving to Snow. Reconvene there.”

“Hai.”, they chorused. 

“What about toadface?”, Kahyo asked.

“Stay behind, keep him busy and out of the way.” Nagato ordered, promptly swirling out of existence before she could argue.                                 

The kunoichi gave a put upon look to Yahiko,“Great! Leave _me_ with the old pervert!”

Yahiko winked at her,”You can handle yourself.”

Konan smirked in amusement, jerking her head in the direction of snow country,”Let’s go.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	41. Triangulation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Itachi stumbles onto a situation that has him worried for Sakura, the pinkette and her husband struggle with their insecurities. Sasuke and Neji go on their mission and converse about a difficult subject, Orochimaru and Jaraiya manipulate those around them, Kabuto falls head first into a trap, and Izuna and Shisui plot to get the sealing records.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I'm trying to get all of this crossposted to FF.net but it's slow going. I'm keeping at it though.

 

When Itachi arrived, Sakura was exhausted, sweating profusely and breathing hard.

Orochimaru was standing very close, looking her over as she worked, a predatory gleam in his eye that shot adrenaline

through Itachi’s veins.

_There it is. Saika was right._

Golden eyes found his, daring him.

Kimimaro was sound asleep, some of the color returning to his cheeks.

Sakura swayed dangerously, her husband rushing to her side to catch her.

He cradled her gently in his arms and looked her over.

She was pale, her pretty pink hair stuck to her forehead by her exertion, her face troubled.

“I will take her to our room.”, he said coldly, angry at what he walked in on and at Sakura’s level of exhaustion. 

“See you tomorrow.”, the Sannin quipped, turning to Saika to take her hand.

Itachi’s attention was drawn to the other medic in the room as he called after them, haughty smirk in place,”Sweet dreams, Itachi-san.”

The Uchiha turned on his heel, rushing Sakura to their room.

Kami only knows what would have happened if he hadn’t arrived before now. 

Much as he would miss her, he needed to get her out of here. Soon.

 

* * *

* * *

 

 

Sasuke fell asleep waiting for his wife to return. He woke to her climbing into bed, her arm snaking around his middle as

she laid behind him, her breath on his ear.

“Time to wake up, Sasuke-kun. Neji-san will meet you at the gates in an hour.”

He opened his eyes and turned to face her, not wanting to leave her embrace just yet.

Her dark eyes looked at him, shining in the fading moonlight, awaiting his response.

When he simply stared at her with unreadable thoughts in his eyes, she averted her own to the small space between their pillows.

He wondered if she realized all she had done, between the elders and apparently arranging the mission, the kiss, giving him another chance.

“The Hokage gave me a scroll for you. It’s on your nightstand.”, she informed him.”I’ve packed some things for your mission. Please come

home safe, and give your brother and his wife my regards.”

Sasuke nodded, containing his wonder of her. “Have you slept?”

Izuna smiled softly,”I will after you leave.”

Her husband frowned,”You didn’t have to do that.”

“I wanted to.”, she said stubbornly, petulant as a child.

The Uchiha heir got out of bed before he did something foolish, like wrap her in his arms in gratitude.

* * *

* * *

 

Itachi looked around the room they shared, noting that it didn’t appear to have been disturbed before laying Sakura gently

on the bed, making his way to the bathroom to run some water.

Once it was full and warm enough, he returned to Sakura, inspecting her skin for marks or entry points as he undressed her.

Even if she didn’t wake up, he would be certain she went to bed clean. Sakura hated waking up with yesterday’s grime.

Her lids slipped open, staying at half mast,”Itachi-kun?”

The relief of hearing her voice flowed through the Uchiha, making him realize just how much he was worried for her. 

The thought of leaving her out of his sight again in this place made his heart race.

Sakura was too strong to fall out like this. _What did they do to her?_

“I am here Sakura.”, he said, smoothing her hair out of her face.

Her voice was small and dejected as she revealed her beautiful eyes all the way, her expression full of self doubt.

”Do you think I will be a good mother?”

He knew why she was asking,”Uchiha children can be very jealous. Saika is no exception.”

She nodded, bit her lip,”You’re so good with her.”

Itachi shook his head, certain in his words,”When you are ready, you will be a wonderful mother.”, he assured her.

She gave him a lopsided smile then, still unsure but pleased that he thought so.

“Are we taking Saika-chan back with us?”, she asked.

 _Perhaps Sakura was worried about the wrong half of their pair_ , he thought guiltily.

”No.”

“Why not?”, she asked, eyes slipping closed again.

Itachi deflected,”We will speak of it later, Sakura. I’ve run a bath for us.”

Sakura opened her eyes and smiled sleepily at him, tapping his nose playfully,”That deserves a reward. I plan on riding

you first thing in the morning.”

Itachi smirked, kissing her forehead. Though she was likely delirious just now, he loved being wanted by her. “I’d like that.”,

he stated, helping her up and watching her for signs of fainting,”Get some rest so you’re ready for me.”

She hummed an agreement, allowing him to lead her to the warm water and sitting up so he could slip in behind her. 

For a while he just held her in the bath. 

At last he picked up the washcloth and began bathing her.

He wrung it out every once in a while, rubbing the cloth over her body, thanking the gods for her beauty. 

She leaned into his touch, letting out little mewls of relaxed pleasure.

Itachi’s thoughts drifted as he enjoyed her nearness.

Uchiha men were plenty jealous too, driven by a desire to possess their mates.

They did foolish things sometimes, even destructive things, to feel the bliss of being bonded to their love in a way that was

unbreakable by anyone else.

Just like Sasuke had for the woman laying beautifully naked against him now, though his brother had failed to consider what

that meant for her beyond his own insecurities.

He didn’t want to make the same mistake, and he had a similar weakness..

He wondered if he should tell Kakashi that despite his other failings as her mentor, he had managed to reach the very heart of his

student in the deepest place. Sakura was very logical, deciding that teamwork, first and foremost, created an unbreakable relationship.

Itachi was used to bearing everything on his own, making painful decisions for others without consulting them, like he had when

he left her in Konoha.

How could he keep her safe without losing her then?

He would have to consult her, when she was herself again.

Picking her up while they were both wet and naked was ...distracting. He pulled his body away from hers and set her on her feet, toweled

her off quickly and tried not to let his eyes stray to places that would make sleep elusive. He ached to touch her, feel her. 

When she reached for her nightgown, Itachi swept her up in his arms again, carrying her to the bed.

“Itachi-kun! I need to get dressed.”, she complained.

He pressed a soft kiss to her cheek, “Let me feel you next to me tonight.” 

Sakura giggled,“You will be next to me, silly.”

_Only until I can find a way for you to escape, and I need you, as close as we can be for now._

”All of you.”, he said, knowing that running his hands over her body, feeling the warmth and softness of her skin and hearing her even breaths

could lull him to sleep.

It would make things easier in the morning too, provided she slept well enough, of course.

“I’m all yours.”, she whispered once they settled in, resting her head on his bare chest and drifting into dreams.

 

* * *

* * *

 

Neji Hyuuga gave him a calculating look, briefly, as he approached the gates.

Sasuke wanted to roll his eyes. He was ten minutes early, but _of course_ the Hyuuga would be here waiting for him.

Annoyed, he regarded the branch member with a raised brow, telling him with his eyes that he _knew_ how perfect Neji wasn’t,

that he knew there was a reason for his disdain and could see right through him.

The Hyuuga startled, a sadness coming over him like a cloud deflating his presence. 

He looked away.

 _Perhaps I shouldn’t have done that_ , Sasuke thought. He didn’t know the whole story and didn’t want to, but now he’d put himself in

the middle over a petty grievance.

It was too late now.

“Let’s go.”

* * *

* * *

 

Once Saika was asleep, Orochimaru stood. 

Kabuto was waiting for him like a lost puppy. Normally, he barely tolerated it, but 

tonight it was fortunate.

He exited the girl’s room quietly, shutting the door behind him and coming to Kimimaro’s bedside, waiting for the silver haired

nin to make conversation. “Itachi-san didn’t take well to that, did he?”, Kabuto snarked.

“She’s a beautiful woman.”, Orochimaru answered. “I want her.”

Just as he thought, Kabuto’s eyes narrowed. 

“He won’t let you just take her. What will we do with him?”, the medic asked.

The Sannin pretended to think that over, answering after a beat,”He will abandon her if he finds her disloyal.”

Kabuto frowned,”You’re planning on seducing her?”.

The Sannin chuckled,”She is much to strong willed for that, and he would forgive her one transgression.”

The medic had to agree that was likely.

When Orochimaru saw Kabuto had fallen silent, he sealed the deal.

“This will take both of us, working together, to bring her along.”

“Together?”, Kabuto questioned.

The Sannin smirked at his biggest fan,”What’s wrong Kabuto? You don’t want to have her with me? Frightened of finally sharing my bed?” 

Orochimaru watched the medic’s eyes widen, his pupils dilate.

“Leave Izumi alone, for now.”, he suggested. “Bring Sakura-chan to my bed. I’ll be trying to gain her compliance as well.”

Kabuto straightened, nodding his acceptance.

The reaction pleased the Sannin. It was all coming together. 

Kabuto had entered the room scowling and irritable. Orochimaru knew why.

Just a few more pieces to move on the board before his happy ending began.

Kimimaro was hearing every word, feigning sleep.

The Sannin pretended to be unaware, then excused himself for the night.

He would miss Kabuto dearly, but his jealousy had no future in the world he was building.

* * *

* * *

 

Both were quiet men, most of their time spent in silence.

Neji’s burden over being caught was heavy in the air as they traveled, lightening a little as they busily made camp.

It grew heavy again as they ate by the fire, Neji’s eyes looking haunted and far away. 

Sasuke began to feel like he was choking on it.

The part of his training that had clued him in was something he often cursed.

It made him know things, even in the village, that he simply didn’t want to know. 

He doubted Naruto knew what had happened, but unless his heiress made up a good excuse, he would sooner or later.

Hinata was unlikely to lie to Naruto over the long term, something Neji was probably well aware of.

Whatever had happened, the young branch member seemed consumed with guilt.

Had he lost control with the girl he was meant to protect? If so, why did Hinata continue to show him affection and trust?

Sasuke realized some of his anger at Neji had stemmed from this.

His best friend was in love with the girl his current mission partner had taken, and Hinata clearly loved Naruto back.

The pain radiating off the Hyuuga male and the silence was too much, setting Sasuke’s nerves on edge.

Neji wasn’t his favorite person, but he could give the man a little mercy.

“Does Naruto know?”, he finally asked, giving Neji the opportunity to talk.

Pearl eyes glanced up at him, ashamed and wary,”How long have you?”

“A few months.”, Sasuke replied truthfully, before taking another bite of the fish they caught.

Neji swallowed, setting his own meal down,”Why didn’t you tell him?”

Sasuke shrugged,”It’s not my place, but I’m worried for him. Is this going to continue between you two?”

The Hyuuga studied his feet,”We were sealed to each other against our will.”

Sasuke didn’t believe that was why. They could have simply pretended to have been together under clan pressure and

it would have fooled most of them. He found many of his targets by observing how maids, secretaries, or professional contacts

held themselves in the presence of people he needed information on, but he was among the best at this and had few equals.

They had actually been intimate. He was sure. He decided to use silence in his interrogation. Eventually, Neji spoke again,

perceiving the accusation,“It was…...very public. There was no way it could be lied about.”

Sasuke let the fish drop to his dish, hoping he heard wrong,”What do you mean?”

“Hiashi-sama and the elders were there. I tried to resist but they...”, Neji trailed off, pale eyes shining.

Sasuke never thought he would hold such immense pity for Hyuuga Neji,”They activated your seal?”

Neji nodded, a tear finally rolling down his cheek with the motion that he quickly wiped away,”I tried not to hurt her, to shield

her from view. I couldn’t….. It was..”

Sasuke’s stomach was turning more with each word. He didn’t want to hear anymore.

“We’ll make it right.”, he said,”Naruto will forgive you, but your elders better hope he never becomes Hokage.”

Neji looked up at him again, a hopeful yet still stricken look in his eyes,”Hai.”

Sasuke would be sure not to tell his friend either, if for no other reason than to keep him out of trouble until Naruto _was_ Hokage,

then be there by his side to assist him in avenging this sickness. If he had to guess, Hinata was Neji’s first sexual experience.

Sasuke Uchiha knew something about shame and duty and horror. 

Maybe they could understand each other better than he thought.

He vowed never to look at the Hyuuga like he did at the gates ever again.

* * *

* * *

  


Jaraiya smiled to himself as he sat in a nearby tree, watching all but one of the Akatsuki leave.

Nagato hadn’t noticed the tracking signal he’d placed on him. The blonde bomber had likely found Izumi based on what he’d

heard, and the pretty kunoichi they had left to watch him was a sight for sore eyes. Once they were gone, he shuffled out of the

tree, knowing just where to take her while they waited. The newlyweds wouldn’t be needing the cabin for a while anyway, and

when their mission was over they would be back to report. 

* * *

* * *

 

Shisui heard a knock at his door just before noon. 

He had been waiting anxiously for her, mind racing all night.

He opened the door smirking at his old friend, deciding to tease her to lighten the mood.

“Ready for some revenge sex?”

Izuna sighed and shook her head, a soft smile on her lips,” I’d rather not make things more complicated than they already are.”

Once she was inside and her shoes were near the door, he closed it behind them.

“What did Sasuke say about the scroll?”, he asked her.

“Nothing.”, she replied. “I didn’t tell him.”

The older Uchiha raised his brows,”Why not?”

Izuna clasped her hands together, hoping the scroll she’d forged would not be discovered. It would lead Sasuke and Neji

directly to the new base, and she would have to admit what she’d done sooner or later. She only hoped it was worth the risk.

”Because we’re going to get it back from Karin ourselves, right after you help Hinata-san get the information on the village’s seal records.”

Shisui hung his head. “Alright.”, he said, resigned. “How are we going to do this?” 


	42. Friction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zetsu's plans encounter obstacles, Kabuto gives Orochimaru a taste, Itachi tries to defend his wife, Sasuke and Neji have issues, Shisui and Izuna come to a consensus, Kimimaro writes Sakura a note, Karin has a conversation with Tenzo, and Izumi is given a task she agrees with. Hinata prepares to confess to Naruto.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! I have the next chapter outlined and it will be up in a few days. Till then..

The moment Tenzo put his hand to the ground and a cabin sprung up, Karin had a good idea who she was dealing with.

He hustled her inside, sealing the door into the walls as if it had never been there. She was in a chakra sealed box

with this man, her only way out of it now.

“What do you want?”, she asked, giving him a sour glare.

He paced the cabin floor a moment before answering her,“I’m taking my fiance and her child away from that snake, and

 _you’re_ going to help me.”

 _So this was over a woman? Great._ Karin refrained from rolling her eyes.

“Who’s your fiance?”

Pride was in his voice, making her blink at the name he spoke and wondering if she heard right,“Izumi Uchiha.”

Karin shrugged, hoping to discourage him,”I thought she liked the Uchiha boy, not you.”

The man’s brows nearly touched at the frown this induced,“Oh, I think you’ll want to help me.”, he said, giving her a

disgusted glance.”I’ve seen the way you look at that little bastard who stole her away from me, sold her to Orochimaru.” 

“You think I want him for myself?”, she scoffed. “That was just a job.I needed information on the clan for Sound, that’s all.”

Tenzo paused, confused,“You don’t want anything else?” 

“From Sasuke?”, she asked, incredulous.

Her captor stared her down, “What do you want then? What do you hope for?”

Karin regarded him frankly, “I’m not fool enough to bother.”

People were disgusting, vile creatures that bit each other until they died. 

Who was she to make anything different?

Hoping for more was a swift way to despair.

* * *

* * *

 

Saika looked up to see a blue skinned man standing over her bed.

“Kisame!”, she cried, sitting up to embrace him.

He reached down and tousled her mane,“Good morning, runt.”

The girl withdrew her arms and looked up at him hopefully,”Can we play today?”

Kisame tilted his head in contemplation,“I was sent to guard you, but I guess a little fun wouldn’t hurt. Whatcha have

in mind, little one?”

The girl frowned, crossing her arms over her chest,”I can defend myself, you know.”

The little human didn’t flinch at his terrifying smile,”I bet you can.”, he replied.

Saika proudly raised her chin,”The clan heir is here to teach me, too. I’ll be even stronger soon.”

Kisame’s brows rose, “Is that so?”, he said, looking around.”Where is he now?”

“Probably with _that lady_ he married.”, she pouted.

 _Oh my_ , he thought. _Someone has a crush_ ,“You mean his wife?”

The girl shrugged,”I guess. She’s not even an Uchiha.”

“Are you wanting to replace her?” Kisame asked, chuckling. ”You’ll have to grow up first.”, he teased, watching her reaction.

The girl’s face went red.”Am not!”, she yelled, glaring daggers at Kisame.

* * *

* * *

 

Kimimaro’s heart went through the floor when he saw Kisame, the one person here who could - albeit temporarily -

disable Mother long enough to escape her.

That is, if Samehada could contain the power she held.

_So it hadn’t been a dream._

Orochimaru expected another attack on himself or Saika, had placed Kisame here to give them a chance.

He wondered what happened to the pretty medic that not only saved his life, but was now the current container of

Mother’s will for being kind enough to help him, ending up at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Maybe he could save her life as well.

Kimimaro called to Kisame from the next room over.

”I’ll be right back.”, the large man told Saika, turning to attend to the only living Kaguya.

“What’s wrong?”, the missing nin asked.

“Please give this to Sakura-san.”, Kimimaro whispered, a worried look on his features, handing over a note he’d hastily

scribbled.

 Kisame nodded,”I’ll send someone out to give it to her.”

The Kaguya’s eyes flew wide in alarm. He couldn’t trust anyone else here with this.

“No.. please..I.”

Just then, the door opened, Kabuto pushing a cart inside it. “Breakfast.”, he explained.

“Come on out, Saika-chan. Time to eat.”, Kisame called, seeing the girl bound out in her dark red nightgown and

rubbing the residual sleep from her eyes. 

She came to the cart, looking at the food with interest.

“Hey four-eyes,”, Kisame said, making Kabuto grimace at one of his least favorite people.

“Kimimaro here says he needs this to go to a Sakura-san.”

Kisame handed the note to a now attentive Kabuto, hoping to aggravate the pipsqueak with his tone,”Can you give it

to her? You _are_ the resident errand boy, aren’t you?”

The medic smirked, replying graciously and dumbfounding the shark nin,”Of course.”

 

* * *

* * *

 

HInata Hyuuga had thought about this, long and hard.

There was a way now, that was all she’d been waiting for.

She would set their clan free one way or the other, but she needed her own questions

 answered first.

It was time to tell Naruto the truth, for him to let her know if they really had a future.

It would be a few hours before he got off his shift, and she would clean his apartment and make them some tea.

Sasuke had been busy, Sakura was gone, so it likely needed it.

Especially for what she had planned if he said yes.

Trembling like a leaf, she got ready and headed to his apartment.

* * *

* * *

 

Izuna and Shisui had been keeping an eye on the records area for hours now.

The guard was impeccable. They were screwed.

”What now?”, Shisui asked her, hearing the exasperation in his own voice.

Izuna had hoped there was a way to not involve anyone else, but now...

“What kind of man is Fugaku-sama? You probably know him better than most.”

Shisui’s head tilted curiously at her, speaking his mind,”Why are you asking?”

She plowed onward,”Would he sacrifice himself, his pride, for his family?”

Shisui scoffed, “Of course! Why?”

Izuna put her head down on her folded hands, doubt in her eyes,“I hope you’re right.”

The elder Uchiha shook his head, catching onto her line of thought,”He won’t let this get out, Izuna-chan. He’ll stop us.

We can’t ask him.”

The Uchiha woman had a hard glint in her eyes,“You or I will have to _hurt_ people to get in there. We can’t do that.

What other option is there?”

They sat in silence a long time.

Finally, Shisui spoke up,”We can’t just ask him on our own. We’ll need a witness.”

Izuna raised her eyebrows, questioning,“Just one?”

He nodded,“The one person Uncle considers family above anyone else. My Aunt.”

 

* * *

* * *

 

Neji clenched his fists, trying to channel his anger away and failing.

The Uchiha had just strode up to the counter, deciding what he would eat for him without a word of permission, and

insisted on paying for everything though they both had an allowance for mission expenses. 

Neji didn’t need his pity. Not now and not ever. He was more than what happened to him.

“I will order and pay for my own food.”, he replied, stubborn and blank faced.

 Sasuke looked at him, abashed at his ingratitude, “Is this _another_ strange Hyuuga custom, or are you just being difficult?”

Neji tried to hold his tongue at the jab and unwelcome reference to the details of his forced coupling with Hinata. Sasuke,

even after their conversation in the woods and being the only person he’d admitted that night to, seemed incapable of

being polite or even decent.

He had trusted the wrong person in a weak moment, obviously.

Two could play at that. He knew just how to ruffle the Uchiha’s feathers.

“You are fortunate to have the marriage you do, Sasuke-san. Izuna-san seems a good wife.”

Sasuke’s eyes narrowed, sensing he had more to say on the matter,”What of it?”

Neji ignored the question, turned his attention to the cashier patiently waiting to take his order.

Sasuke took a seat in a corner near the back door, a full line of sight in the dining area before him.

 _What the hell is his problem?_ , he seethed to himself.

Naruto would have been touched by his kindness. 

Maybe it wasn’t safe to open himself to the Hyuuga, which was really too bad.

The thought of seeing his brother, Sakura, and Izumi was eating away at him.

His dreams of his new wife and their kiss that would turn into more was making his focus more off than he felt comfortable with.

The thought of facing the Sannin, the last man to have touched _his_ wife, was absolutely unnerving.

 Frankly, he wouldn’t mind a little comforting friendship right now.

* * *

* * *

 

Itachi looked at Sakura’s face worriedly, caressing her cheek.

It was well past morning, and she still had not awakened.

A knock was heard at the door. He rose to answer it, revealing Orochimaru, a rare and sheepish expression on his face.

“Good day to you, Itachi-kun. We need to talk.”

Looking over his shoulder at his sleeping wife, Itachi reluctantly walked out of the room and closed the door, turning a

disapproving glare on the Sannin,”Indeed.”

* * *

* * *

 

Zetsu had certainly had enough with prison life, being ravaged by a confused man and held within a girl stolen of her power.

Being reborn as an Uchiha free of the village would greatly assist the plan, but all attempts at securing a future as a newborn

with a willing and powerful slave for a mother with new eyes to be gained had come to nothing. 

Invading Saika was not an option.

They’d been ready for that, Kimimaro headed it off at the pass.

Then, there was Sakura.

Her husband had that accursed seal, like most of them.

But the pink haired medic had one thing no one else had. 

Perfect chakra control, enough to disturb the seal for long enough to let life flow through.

The problem was Zetsu was far from alone within Sakura, and until it won the battle against her raging inner being, the

present host needed to stay asleep.

The slug princess’s student was formidable, her husband as well, making excellent guards for the new body, but the whispers

wouldn’t reach her deepest places. The girl already had company, and she wasn’t lonely. However, she did have an intense

fear of inadequacy.

There just had to be an opportunity to use it to an advantage. 

 

* * *

* * *

 

On his way to find Sakura, Kabuto found Itachi and Orochimaru having a rather tense conversation. He skirted them,

heading straight for her room, knowing nothing would be resolved right away.

The door creaked open after a brief knock. 

 The silver haired medic crept inside, shutting the door softly behind him.

Sakura’s creamy skin was bare, the sheets kicked down to her calves, moaning a little in her sleep. He walked silently

to the bed, pants growing tight at the sight of her.

The incredible physique, far less flawed than most kunoichi. The tiny waist, the pretty, pink little nipples and the soft

looking cotton candy colored hair between her legs all pleased him.

The thought of sharing her luscious body with his master had his own thrumming deeply with desire.

He imagined plunging his cock into her as the Sannin plunged into him and shivered, wanting.

He would force her now to relieve the ache, but Itachi was not someone easily defeated.

Unwilling, she was plenty dangerous herself.

Even if he chained her and hid her away somewhere the Uchiha would find her.

The medic wondered if it would ever truly happen. If he only had the chance..

He had to know. He needed to be sure he could have them both. Have _him_. 

But how?

Sakura mumbled in her sleep, rolled onto her stomach with a groan, presenting her 

lovely rear to him. It was an opportunity impossible to resist.

Carefully, so as not to wake her, he let one finger find her folds. Gently pushing inside her, he explored her tight warmth

with his digit, startling when she let out a sighing breath.

Slowly, he began his retreat from her body, withdrawing and then making haste to leave.

Itachi was coming back, and he had something now, the first thing he could share of

 her with the Sannin. 

Oh, it was going to be glorious.

* * *

* * *

 

Itachi arrived to see Kabuto at their door, hand poised to knock.

”Do not disturb her now.”, he growled. “She is ill.”

The medic smiled placidly at him,”I apologize. I simply came to deliver a message from her patient yesterday.”

Kabuto held out the small note between two fingers, one he was too distracted to ever read. 

Itachi took it, nodding, “I’ll give it to her. You may go.”

“As you wish, Itachi-san.”

 

* * *

* * *

 

Orochimaru was disgusted at the situation, yet admittedly aroused by Sakura’s sweet taste, ruined immediately by

Kabuto’s desperate kisses. He played along, amused that this aspect had taken place so quickly.

After Kabuto’s seeming success today, it wouldn’t be long before he came to Izumi.

His medic could be petty, prone to gloating.

 It was time for a stroll. 

Silent steps transversed the compound, his heart doing something it hated but had 

grown used to now as much as it could: Saying goodbye.

Orochimaru’s feet stopped in front of Izumi’s cell, taking in the pitiful sight of his prisoner.

He flicked his wrist, a metal clanking on the floor next to her heard a second later.

“Good luck, Izumi-chan.”, his silken voice whispered to her. “If you succeed, there are better accommodations in your future.”

Her chains released, but the bars remained between them.

Izumi smiled in the dark shadows of her lonely cell in response. 

For once, she was being used in a way she agreed with.

 


	43. Broken Promises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Itachi thinks back to his conversation with the Sannin and makes a discovery in their room, Naruto worries over his future, and Mikoto makes peace with Ino Yamanaka.

Itachi placed the note in his vest pocket, waited until Kabuto was far enough away that he felt comfortable opening 

the door. If Sakura’s condition wasn’t enough to rattle him, the presence of the silver haired nin at the entrance to their

room had certainly done so, and the conversation with Orochimaru wasn’t helping either.

_ They had only walked a few paces around the corner when Itachi stopped and turned to the Sannin,”Explain yourself, _

_ your behavior with my wife.” _

_ Golden eyes reflected danger at him,”You plan on killing my child. All is fair.” _

_ There was no point in lying about it,“You knew I was likely to make that decision.”, Itachi replied, certain Orochimaru  _

_ was well versed in his clan’s laws.”Why show Saika to me?” _

_ The Sannin chuckled, relieved that despite the ire he was having an intelligent discussion at last.”More than just a pretty face, I see..” _

_ Unamused, Itachi held his gaze until he spoke again.  _

No need to beat around the bush here,  _ Orochimaru thought _ . The Uchiha would see through it anyway. It might even be nice to

tell someone the truth for once. 

Well, most of it.

_ “I need your help.”, he decided to say, betting on his hunch that Itachi had extracted intelligence from the girl in he and  _

_ Sakura’s absence. _

_ “Showing interest in my wife is unlikely to gain my compliance.”, the Uchiha said evenly. _

_ ” I also have responsibilities in Konoha I am sworn to uphold.” _

_ “I have no plans to make your wife my own, even for a night.”, Orochimaru answered. _

_ The Uchiha’s brow furrowed,”Then why did you..” _

_ Orochimaru cut him off, moving down the hall towards a large room at the end of it. _

_ “Kabuto wishes to be in the right place at an opportune moment, while the object of his fantasies is vulnerable.” _

_ Itachi bristled,”Does he think my wife of low morals?That she will just lay down with him?”  _

_ Orochimaru gave a light chuckle,”Is that what you think he’s up to?” _

_ Itachi glared at the floor, hating that they were walking away from his wife as they spoke, leaving her alone after a rather  _

_ obvious and humiliating round of flirting in front of him. _

_ His gut felt like it was sloshing around at a dizzying speed. _

_ “What else then?”, the Uchiha asked, truly stumped and grimacing at how his emotions may be clouding his perception here. _

_ “The object is myself, Itachi-kun, and his assumption that she will comply is only a bit of hero worship.”, he quipped, a  _

_ smirk on his face. _

_ Itachi thought he understood now, “He intends to use her to get to you.” _

_ Orochimaru nodded,”Yes.” _

_ “Why  _ my  _ wife?”, Itachi asked , taking the growl out of his words before they reached his throat...barely. _

_ “Surely you’ve noticed the similarity in their builds, hers and Izuna’s. Sakura-chan is a logical target.”  _

_ Itachi could see there was a resemblance in the frames of Izuna and his wife, now that he thought of it, but the comparison  _

_ was shallow in his opinion. Sakura was exotic, hot headed, insatiable. They were miles apart in personality.  _

_ Equating them irked Itachi. _

_ However, Kabuto’s behavior made more sense in that light. What Itachi couldn’t make sense of is why the Sannin would _

_ give away such valuable information that could easily be used against him later. Izuna was clearly not some random woman _

_ to Orochimaru, a weakness. _

_ Then he knew. That knowledge wasn’t a threat when given to him.  _

_ He had his own weakness. _

_ Orochimaru saw the question in Itachi’s eyes turn to realization. _

_ They both turned as a voice behind them called out,”Lord Orochimaru!” _

_ Itachi’s eyes narrowed at the newcomer, a boy Sakura’s age, so pretty that if he had not spoken he would surely have _

_ assumed him female. _ _ The man bowed, a curtain of soft dark brown falling forward as he held out a note. _

_ ”You’ve received a message from the Heiress.” _

_ The Sannin merely nodded, taking the letter.”You may go Haku-san. Thank you.” _

_ The man stood, nodding once, then looked thoughtfully at Itachi a moment before turning to go. _

_ The Uchiha stood watching him until he turned down a hall that led away from the room he shared with Sakura as  _

_ Orochimaru read the letter. _

_ He hated how jealous he had become. He needed to get back to that room, talk to Sakura. _

_ The Uchiha felt like his whole being was screaming at him to be closer to her. _

_ The Sannin’s voice broke him out of his thoughts. _

_ “As for Kabuto, I will be certain he dies for touching your mate, should he ever be foolish enough to do so.” _

_ Itachi repressed his desire to scoff,“Yet you goad him.” _

_ The Sannin took the Uchiha’s palpable anger in stride,“Izumi has realized she cannot gain his favor and has decided to  _

_ provoke him instead. Do you not wish to return your niece or nephew  unharmed? I will only humor him until Sakura-chan  _

_ is safely returned to Konoha.” _

_ “I will not hesitate to destroy him if he does.”, Itachi warned, earning an understanding nod in reply. _

_ ”As for your responsibilities at home,”, Orochimaru said, waving the letter,”I’ve  just received word your brother has married _

_ and been accepted as heir.” _

_ Itachi was visibly unmoved, but felt as if a freezing wave had just washed over him. _

_  Who was she? _

_ Though it was likely only someone he found capable of helping him handle clan matters, arranged marriages also held weight  _

_ in his mind. His own family had been built on one, and his heart sank with the realization that he hadn’t been there on one of _

_ the most important days of his brother’s life. He wanted to know whose heart Sasuke was charged to win now. _

_ “If you have it,”, Itachi said,” I want to see the proof you have regarding my brother’s marriage.” _

_ Orochimaru waved a dismissive hand,“No need for proof. He is on his way here now. He can tell you himself.” _

What?  _ “Why is he coming?”, Itachi asked, hoping his brother was not foolish enough to launch an attack to retrieve him. _

_ ”Is he coming alone?” _

_ The Sannin smirked, looking like a satisfied cat with his slitted eyes,”Your selfish little brother has grown much in your absence, _

_ Itachi kun. He travels with a Hyuuga boy. They claim to carry the solution to the seals we both bear, in exchange for the release _

_ of the Hyuuga’s cursed seal. _

_ He is leading a revolution in Konoha, whether he knows it or not.” _

_ Itachi had a good idea who the heiress was that sent the letter now. _

_ The soft spoken Hyuuga girl that loved his brother’s best friend. _

_ Pride and worry in the Uchiha’s midnight eyes was clear to Orochimaru. _

_ He made his offer,”Sakura-chan can return with him, help him in his quest, if you will come with me.” _

 

Itachi stood staring at the door, behind which his wife slept, wishing logic wasn’t dictating to him that he leave her behind  _ again _ .

He refused to hurt her that way once more, but she wasn’t safe here. He wasn’t comforted by the Sannin’s declarations 

about his favored medic.  Especially since he had offered to let Sakura go.

Sasuke would need her on his side, and this was a cause Sakura would care about.

He knew she would fight with everything she had to help the imprisoned Hyuuga. 

Sasuke was married now and obviously grieved his mistake.

He would not touch Sakura, even if his spouse did not entice him and even if he truly wanted to.

Strategically, taking Saika to the place Orochimaru had shown her, the one being prepared for them, was a sound plan. 

It was ingeniously hidden, and if things went wrong reversing the seals and confronting things, it would be a good place to

hide his family until it was safe to return.

Once inside the room, he sat on a nearby chair, activating his sharingan to record his sleeping beauty. 

The thought of her belly swelling with his child, that there was hope and his brother was delivering it, filled his heart with warmth

as his vision sharpened to take her in. 

Then he caught sight of something that made his blood burn.

A long silver hair on the bed, resting near Sakura’s bare thigh.

His eyes bled in response, realizing why his insides had been churning.

Feeling a blind rage at the edges of his consciousness, he decided to wake her and demand an explanation before he

tore this place apart.

* * *

* * *

 

Naruto Uzimaki trudged home after his shift towards his apartment, knowing a long and lonely night was the only thing awaiting him, 

probably spent staring at the ceiling and worrying about his friends...and his love life.

When he was in the Hokage’s office he was too preoccupied with Sasuke’s predicament to register that Neji would be leaving with

him, which meant he wouldn’t be able to spend time with Hinata until he came back. Hiashi himself had approached him, said he was

not to be seen in Hinata’s presence without her guardian a few months ago. Naruto didn’t like the lack of privacy or trust, but figured 

it a test. If he abided by their rules, maybe Hiashi would finally let her marry him. He wasn’t looking forward to the restriction, but for

Hinata’s hand he would put up with a lot, and he would never give up. 

Neji, formerly a bit of a haughty bastard in his presence, was meek and gracious towards him when he saw HInata after that. 

It puzzled him at first, but he decided it was an apology for all the times Neji acted like he wasn’t good enough for his cousin.

He had been stuck to Hinata’s side like glue for a long time after they settled their differences, but now he was keeping his distance.

Maybe a little too much. Whenever Hinata stood close to him, he backed away, and Hinata would look all sad. 

Maybe it hurt a little for your family to stand back while you tried to make a family of your own?

He wouldn’t know.

Regardless, it all pointed to him being welcomed into the family eventually, so he put up with the intrusion.

But last week he had held Hinata’s hand and asked her if her father thought he was behaving, told her he’d wait however 

long it took and do whatever he needed to, when she looked away.

After a moment she looked back at him, her lilac eyes brimming with tears.

They didn’t look like happy ones, and she’d changed the subject without acknowledging what he’d said. 

Maybe it wasn’t going as well as he thought.

Even Neji said nothing, pale eyes fixed on the ground.

A sensation brought him out of his darkened musings and he stopped halfway to the landing.

She was here! In his apartment.  _ Alone. _

He grinned broadly, heart bubbling up with joy as he took the stairs two at a time, fumbling for his keys. 

He nearly tore the door from the hinges jerking it open to get to her.

His jaw dropped at the sight before him, unable to tear his eyes away.

Hinata giggled at his startled posture,”Close the door Naruto-kun.”

* * *

* * *

 

Ino was having a nice dinner with Sai when she was summoned. Surprised she was being requested but happy for the 

chance to see Izuna again, she rose and went to grab her medic bag. 

“Who called you, beautiful? Is it the hospital?”, the former root member asked.

“It’s Mikoto-san.”, she replied. “She’s ready for her final healing.”

Sai nodded,”Tell your cousin I said hello.”

Ino smiled. He was really getting the hang of this whole social graces thing.

Well, when he felt like it anyway.

When Ino arrived at the Uchiha mansion, Fugaku only graced her with a single, stern nod of acknowledgement before

taking his leave.

She supposed next to Fugaku, Sai was a social butterfly.

Mikoto was one of a handful of women in the village Ino admired for her feminine mystique. How she put up with her husband, 

she would never know.

Ino enjoyed watching her work her way through a conversation, and it didn’t take long for Mikoto to strike one up. 

“Isn’t Sakura-chan your best friend, Ino-san? I seem to recall seeing you two play together when you were younger.She mentioned you often.”

Ino hummed in the affirmative as she unwound the bandages carefully from Mikoto’s face.

“I bet you miss her.”, the Uchiha woman prodded further.

“Sakura’s happy now, that’s all I care about.”, the blonde replied, wishing she meant it. 

She did miss her friend. Every day.

Mikoto frowned a little, deciding this was the wrong approach. She tried another.

“We’re family now. I suppose we’ll be seeing a lot of each other. Izuna-chan will make a good mother, don’t you think?”

She couldn’t see Ino’s expression, but heard the release of a huff of breath.

“How are they doing together, Sasuke and Izuna?”, Ino asked, unable to resist.

“Well, I think. These things are strange at first, but they seem compatible.”

 Mikoto blushed lightly at the memory of her own wedding night that had stretched on for much longer than it was meant to, 

hoping it didn’t show. Fugaku had literally worshipped every inch of her, and the passion they shared made the transition much

smoother than it would have been.

That was unlikely to have happened between her son and his new wife, but she could see an attraction between them. 

Their chemistry was not the concern for now, support from their family and friends was.”I was surprised not to see you at their reception.”

Ino shrugged, trying not to let her bitterness come through in her voice and failing miserably.

“In my clan we have big weddings, not just a declaration and dinner. Sakura and I used to plan ours together when we were

younger...but I guess I missed that chance.”

“Do you suppose Sakura-chan would like one when she returns?”, Mikoto offered,“We  could plan it together?”

Ino wasn’t sure if her friend would be returning at all right now, but the thought of bringing their little girl dreams alive and 

the distraction it would provide was welcome.

Now that she thought of it..

“And for my cousin?”, Ino asked mischievously. The idea of dolling up her long lost family member and driving Sasuke to 

distraction with all the festivities pulling her lips into a grin.

Mikoto smirked, catching on,”Sasuke would be very displeased.”

Ino’s grin turned into a wide smile,”He would.”

  
  



	44. Other Men

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Itachi and Sakura have a confrontation made worse by Zetsu, Jariaya discovers something about Keyho, and Hinata spills the recent past to Naruto.

Itachi dragged her out of her slumber, Sakura sitting up so quickly he had to dodge her.

Her pretty face seemed alarmed.

He gave her a moment to be fully awake.

“Itachi-kun, I had the strangest dream.”, she muttered, turning to look at him and then freezing in place.

“What’s wrong? Why are your eyes..”

He stood, trying to contain himself and not lash out at her, turning away.“Was Kabuto here with you?”

Sakura’s eyes widened,”What?”

Itachi dug his fingers into his palms, knuckles turning white,”I found his hair on our bed.”

Sakura stood, adrenaline pouring through her at his dangerous aura, his turned back and activated sharingan.

She definitely wasn’t telling him about her dream now.

“Of course he wasn’t. Why would I let him into our room without you here?”

Was he _accusing_ her? She’d always felt safe with him. Trusted. 

Itachi tensed further at her response. Her question at the end was typical of a lie.

Sakura was very loyal. Had that changed?

His subconscious heard the whispers

_What if being with her, awakening her body, had made her wanton? If she was doing this now, what would happen when_

_she left with Sasuke? What if they separated again and his brother decided he wasn’t sorry enough to resist her?_

Now that there might be a way to keep her to himself and not deprive her of a child, Itachi’s practical ability to share

had completely evaporated, his possessiveness shocking even him.

He would not let her go.

Her husband turned around, eyes blazing. Sakura stood, looking forlorn and wrapped in a sheet, hand clutching the corner

of it close to her chest.  Too much of her was covered for him to see any marks Kabuto might have left. 

Despite his efforts to be gentle most times, she never came out of his own arms unscathed.

_Give her a chance to show you she tells the truth. Look at her.Touch her._

He had to see. “Drop the sheet, Sakura. Get on the bed.”

Sakura couldn’t believe it. His tone was cold, angry. She balked at his command. “No! You’re being ridiculous!”

She refused to feel guilty about a dream she had no control over having and would never have chosen for herself.

How did he know? Even if he did..she’d seen him want someone for real, been shown a memory from a woman he was _engaged_ to.

 Who the hell did he think he was anyway?

Zetsu was highly amused at the chaos ensuing. It whispered to the Uchiha’s deepest place again.

_She’s grown tired of you. She doesn’t want you anymore. Show her how wrong she is, that she belongs to you, that she_

_can’t just walk away._

Sakura took a step backwards as Itachi approached her, a dark swirling nature to his chakra permeating the room and causing

her heart to race, determination in his eyes.

The back of her knees hit the bed.

“Drop the sheet and get on the bed, woman.”, he growled, voice low and dangerous,”Before I tear it from you and take

you until you can’t remember anyone’s name but mine.”

Sakura’s brows shot up in disbelief, both at his words and at the flame igniting in her belly upon hearing them.

Zetsu grinned, impersonating the voice of her inner being, the one it had locked away when Inner had been knocked off

balance by Kabuto’s violation.  _We don’t have to take this! Call his bluff!_

Sakura gave him a challenging glare,” _Make me_.”

Itachi’s jaw clenched, mouth settling into a hard line. Suddenly he reached out and tore her sheet away, ripping the fabric

out of her strong grasp until she only held a scrap in her hand. She tried to back away, to hit the bed and roll, but he caught

her ankles once her back hit the bed and jerked her towards him. She kicked but he dodged, then encircled her other ankle

with the hand that held the first.

His eyes raked over her as his blood raced through his veins, enraged.

Some part of her liked this, or she would have fought harder.

Maybe he had not been trying hard enough to keep her interested? Maybe she wanted things she’d never tell him about.

The thought hurt. 

His hand bruised her ankles in his grip as it tightened more and she winced.

He let her ankles go, sighing and stepping back, horrified at his actions.

No matter what she did, he never wanted to truly hurt her. What was he thinking?

The madness was here, despite his vigilance to stop it.

Sakura stopped struggling completely, looking at his face and trying to understand. 

Itachi’s expression seemed pained when he spoke, voice defeated, “ _I_ could never tire of _you_.”

Sakura’s mouth hung open, astonished.

So he _was_ accusing her! Did he really think she wanted someone else?

He turned to go then, stepping toward the door.

Sakura knew what that pain was like, and she couldn’t let him leave with it in his heart, no matter how insulted she felt.

“Show me.”, she pleaded, wanting to halt his retreat and bring him back before he shut her out.

His hand grasped the doorknob, but he stopped, turning to look back at her.

The pain was unbearable, and he felt unstable near her. 

He didn’t want to hurt anyone, and he would if he ever had to see something like that again.

Perhaps Sasuke would be able to save her from him now. 

“You’re going back to Konoha.”, he stated,”As soon as possible.”

He waited a few beats for her to speak her peace, though he ached to escape.

Her lower lip trembled, the one he loved nipping and sucking on to hear her gasp.

Tears sprung to her eyes, her voice wavering, making him feel like a kunai was twisting in his chest.

”Don’t leave me, Itachi-kun. Please. I’ve done nothing wrong!”

She sounded sincere. He gave her a chance, not expecting her to comply.

“Then let me look at you, be certain you are still mine.”

Sakura nodded, lying back on the bed. Surprised, he approached her cautiously, eyes scanning her.

He lifted each leg, inspecting for marks, then sat her up.

There was a bite mark on her shoulder, but it wasn’t from today.

Sakura noticed his eyes zero in on it, remembering when he gave it to her.

“Why did you not heal this?”, he asked her. 

Sakura’s eyes searched his,”Because I’m yours, and I want _everyone_ to know that.”

Itachi couldn’t help himself,”Only mine?”

“You’re the one who wanted me to be with Sasuke to get pregnant when the time came!”, she fumed, wondering when

he became just as moody as she was. “Even _he_ knows I don’t want that!” The spat had already exhausted her emotionally.

She was at her wit’s end.

A smirk came to his lips,”There will be no need for that now, come what may.”

He wasn’t certain the seal release would work, but they could certainly try, and he knew now he couldn’t bear to give her away.

Sakura was certain he meant it, but scared to request an explanation. Not only had Kabuto assaulted her in her dream and Itachi

was clearly  jealous, but she also disturbed the integrity of the seal within it later on, giving birth to a beautiful baby boy as a result.

The coincidence was suspect, but after her husband’s outburst she decided not to respond with anything other than an embrace of

gratitude. He would sense her trepidation if she spoke about it. She wished Ino was here to tell her secret to.

_Better to leave it alone._

“Thank you, Itachi-kun.”, she said sincerely, looking up to find his ears had turned pink.

Oh, right. She was naked.

Maybe they can make up properly now, scrub her mind of the dream memory of the creepy medic fingering her by riding her beautiful

husband into blissful oblivion.

Maybe she could even try the other part of her dream out…and she would avoid Kabuto like the plague regardless.

She gave him a devlish grin, letting him know she wanted him too. 

He blinked in surprise, then his eyes darkened on her, hands sliding to her waist.

 

Zetsu frowned at the outcome of this game, watching them tenderly make love and whisper heatedly to each other, deciding

them not nearly as fun to toy with as the other two had been. Uchiha’s were prideful and jealous, easier to manipulate than most in

these matters, but the girl was different. She had settled him down.The Uchiha had also been determined not to harm her.

Pity, it would have been a good fight had they allowed it to progress.

The curiosity about what a more brutal version of them fucking would be like will have to wait to be sated.

Life, however, did flow through. Neither one was the wiser.

* * *

* * *

 

Keyho was getting tired of the Toad Sannin’s lame attempts at bedding her.

_Not in this lifetime, old man_ , she thought, glaring at his blatant ogling of her backside.

She supposed she should try and make the best of it, maybe ask him about one of his very sexy and notorious fans, a frequent

star to her more heated dreams. “How’s your Copy nin?”

Her question startled Jariaya from the hypnotizing sway of her plump but toned rear. “Hm? Oh, Kakashi? He’s my biggest fan!”,

he said, puffing his chest out a bit.

She smirked, remembering their battle,”He put his book away for me.”

Jariaya licked his lips. She was _so_ feisty.“Want another fight, do you? We can…”

Keyho headed him off at the pass,“No thanks.”

_A swing and a miss_ , Jariaya thought unhappily. 

He changed tactics, deciding to flatter her,“That was certainly a spectacle when you two faced off. You gave him a real challenge.”

Her cheeks bloomed pink, and the Toad Sannin realized it was more than just the compliment.

This fine lady had a crush on the Leaf’s current Hokage.

Kakashi showed very little interest in actual women, but he had seemed a bit preoccupied after he’d run into this one,

the top of his face going scarlet at her mention.

The Sannin sighed. He would have to wait for it all to blow up before he got a chance then.

Oh well.

Just maybe.. It would make for a good, tragic love story, and he might _finally_ get to see what the Copy nin did behind closed

doors, if he was sneaky enough. He _was_ his understudy of sorts. Why not?

Jariaya chuckled knowingly,“Oh you don’t want that one, my dear, he’s too much trouble.”

Her eyes widened,”Really?”

He hummed, nodding,”A real heartbreaker, he is. It would take quite the woman to turn his head and get him to settle down.”

He smiled to himself as her eyes hardened and her chin tilted up in determination,”I see.”

They entered a clearing, the cabin coming into view. The Uchiha boy probably didn’t have any booze here, but he would

definitely be making use of the giant tub, give Keyho a chance to refocus on the pleasure available now and right in front of her.

Maybe stretch a little in front of her window..

“We’re here.”, he said cheerfully,”Home sweet home.”

Something dripped on his head. It was warm.

Keyho was laughing.

Jariaya’s face went red, shouting when he looked up to find the culprit.

”Damn you, Rangou!”

.

* * *

* * *

 

 

HInata was in his house.

Oh god, in her underwear.

He shut the door with haste, backing himself up against it and holding the doorknob for dear life.

Naruto’s cheeks quickly turned red,”A-are you alright, Hinata-ch-chan?” he managed before she came to him, wrapping her

arms around him.“Naruto!”, she cried, clinging to him, her curves pushing on him in a way that was making his brain short circuit.

_Say something, this is HInata-chan!_

She rubbed up against him again, his throat dry and tight with the stimulus. 

He swallowed, trying to ease the friction and moved his lower half away so not to poke her and give himself away.

“Not that I’m complaining, HInata, but- what’s going on?”, he said, looking into her eyes.

There were tears there.

“What happened?”, he asked her, brushing her soft cheek when she didn’t answer, brow furrowing in concern.

HInata Hyuuga wound herself up in desperation while she was waiting for his return.

What if she told him and he abandoned her? She knew it was selfish, but just one night with him would help her accept it,

ease the pain.

“Make love to me?”, she asked, her eyes searching.

His own widened comically at her suggestion, then a heated look raked over her curves.

Then, to her dismay, he reeled himself in.

 He shook his head and sighed,“I can wait, I’ve told you. I want you forever, not just now. HIashi-sama said..”

“Please, Naruto-kun.” she begged, sounding on the verge of sobbing.

His instincts flared. Something was wrong.”“Hinata chan? Did something happen?”

She had to tell him first, then. Her heart sank, and she began babbling it out. “I’m not.. pure...anymore. I was forced. I wanted

you to be the one. I..”

Suddenly, HInata was encased in a warm, crushing hug. “Was it a mission?”, he whispered quietly to her.

Hinata knew Naruto Uzimaki was not a virgin. 

He had been playful and lusty as a youngster, and she had not.

Once, he had been forced on a mission, and she knew that’s what he was thinking of now. 

Maybe he could understand.

“Father forced me to, in front of the elders, with another Hyuuga.”, she blurted out.

Kurama’s energy suddenly flared, enveloping them in red but not hurting her. Yet.

His hug had turned into a painful grip, making her squirm in discomfort.

HIs voice was gravelly, monstrous, “Who was it, Hinata?! I’ll kill him for doing that to you!”

The Hyuuga heiress thanked Kami Neji was out of the village.

Even if he went after him now, Naruto would come to his senses before he found him.

If not, Sasuke would stop him. Hopefully.

”It wasn’t his fault, Naruto-kun. He was forced to. They used his seal to make him.”

Naruto’s face fell from a menacing scowl to wounded, the pieces of things niggling at the back of his mind coming together.

 It all made sense.

Naruto cringed at the memory of the look on Neji’s face when he held out his hand to help him up.

The words he said, his eyes begging, _“Forgive me, Naruto-kun.”_

“It was Neji, wasn’t it?” he said, letting her go, the angry red from around them dissipating.

She nodded, tears streaming.

“Why Hinata? Why are they doing this, and why didn’t you tell me?”, he pleaded, hurt and dumbfounded.

“The elders demanded a pure blood heir.”, she replied, trying to quit shaking. It hurt so much to see him like this.

“Who else knows?”, he demanded, getting angry again.

HInata winced, remembering Kiba taking her aside and reluctantly promising her not to tell, Kakashi asking her three times

if she was alright the next day. 

Of course, Sasuke’s hard glares at her when Naruto wasn’t looking didn’t escape her notice.

“Kiba-kun. Probably Kakashi-sama. Maybe Sasuke.”

Naruto frowned,“Neji didn’t tell?”

Now she had a chance to say it, something she knew he would understand,“Would you, if it were Sakura-san?”

Just as she thought, the love of her life looked stricken, imagining being forced to take Sakura’s virginity when she loved someone else. 

He would want to die, do anything to make it up to her forever. It would break his heart.

The cousins had a rough start, but Neji held great affection for her, felt completely responsible for her safety.

She saw him register the suffering her cousin would feel, reached out to put an elegant hand on his shoulder.

His eyes shot up to hers, “Does…...does he have anyone he needs to tell?”

Hinata nodded, “I think so, but he won’t. Until this is over, she could only be a concubine. She would have the seal, too.”

She paused, ready to break her other news,”Both seals, eventually.”

He raised his own hand to his shoulder to hold hers, squeezing it.”Why not tell me?”

“I didn’t know if we could find a way to fix things.”, she replied.”They might hurt Neji if anyone else knew. Or you.”

“Then why are you telling me now?”, he asked, sounding hollow and heartbroken.

 Hinata kissed his lowered brow. Once she drew back, Naruto’s brain caught up.

“Wait, did you say both seals? What’s the other one?”

The heiress regarded the blonde fondly,”I’ll show you. I have a way to break one I think,  but I can’t try it in the compound.

Th- they might see..”

“Will it stop this?”, he asked, trying to muster his usual optimism.

“If it works, I don’t need anyone’s permission to marry you.”, she said, daring to hope he still wanted that.

“OK.”, he said, quiet afterwards.

By dawn, she was able to create and release the seal. Naruto praised her efforts, and she wiped her brow, smiling softly.

They had a chance to be free. Her own seal was gone. Her will mattered again.

Hinata drank some water, lied back on the couch, exhausted but thankful.

She could feel her love's blue eyes tracing her figure in the long T shirt he’d given her to wear.

He’d kept his distance, and she had wondered if he was repulsed by her now.

Clearly, that wasn’t the case. 

Hinata turned to him, catching him peering at her,”Can I sleep here?”

A half smile curved his lips, a simple nod as a reply before he stood and joined her.

They held each other as the sun came up, grieving the death of what should have been theirs alone in the arms of the one they

loved, hoping for a better future.

  



	45. Strive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke and Neji find Karin and Tenzo, Someone goes missing from both the Uchiha and Hyuuga compounds, Kakashi sees an old friend and does her a favor, Kabuto visits Izumi, Naruto takes a stand, and Nagato arrives at the base

“Who hit you?”

Neji glanced over his shoulder to look at his Uchiha team mate quizzically,”Why do you care?”

Sasuke frowned,”You have a bruise, right in the middle of your forehead.”

Neji glared, remembering that it was  _ his  _ wife who hit him in the forehead with her shoe.

He scoffed,”I’ll survive.”

Sasuke  _ hated _ this. In very few instances he had initiated social contact, especially conversation, with the intent to make peace.

His efforts were usually met with more warmth than this.

Another hour of silence passed, another hour closer.  Then he felt it. Both of them. 

“Stop.”

Neji halted, turning to him,”Are we being followed?”, he asked, looking around with his byakugan and finding nothing out 

of the ordinary.  “One of our shinobi is nearby.”, Sasuke said, “A woman from Sound as well.”

Neji nodded, ”My contact. What do you think they are doing here?”

Whatever it was it probably wasn’t a sanctioned activity, and the urge to rattle answers out of the redhead was zinging in 

the Uchiha’s bones. Yamato would attack him again, most likely, but it wouldn’t be in the village and he wasn’t alone.

Neji watched his expressions, deciding not to wait for an answer,”The mission supercedes whatever this is.”

Sasuke tried to convince him,“Yamato can help us, and the woman can be a hostage if we’re denied entry.”

Neji shook his head, “You’re not telling me something. If we do this I need to understand the situation, or I will go on without you.”

Sasuke sighed. He would try to trust the Hyuuga one more time, but after that, not an inch would be given.

 

* * *

* * *

 

“You don’t know how the Uchiha work, do you?”

Tenzo snorted derisively, “And you do?”

Karin nodded, “More than you, apparently.”

The wood user abandoned the tea making, quickly growing tired of this mouthy woman.

“Enlighten me, then.”

“Any child you have would be hunted down and killed or captured. If it was part Uchiha, they would execute you too.”

_ Kakashi would never let that happen to me _ , he thought.

“Not within Konoha.”, he replied, dismissing her and turning back to his brewing, hoping the tea would soothe his 

nerves,”Same goes for you, anyway.”

“I’m not wanted there.”, the redhead retorted.

“Depending on your powerful friends to protect you?”, he ventured.

Without the safety of the village, she was eventually doomed without them, a fact she was likely well aware of.

Karin rolled her eyes,”You’re not as dumb as you look.”

_ Well, sort of. They’re coming. The second he opens that door, I’m out of here. _

Of course she might have to run from three of them instead of one, but the Hyuuga was likely more on her side than theirs,

at least until he got what he wanted.

Just like everyone else.

* * *

* * *

HInata awoke to the smell of salt and sun and warmth surrounding her.

She closed her eyes and basked in it for a moment before moving to get up.

Strong, tan arms held her closer, preventing her escape.

“Leaving already?”, he said, throat thick with the comfort of good rest and the softness in his embrace.

“Father will come looking for me. I have to..”

“You’re not going back there.”, he said, voice firm and final.

Hinata was speechless. What was he thinking?

He nuzzled his face between her neck and shoulder, warm breath fanning the sensitive spot.

She felt him take a deep breath, humming in pleasure.

Her face warmed,”I don’t want you to get hurt Naruto-kun.”

He pulled back to grace her with a beautiful smile, blue eyes shining and making her heart skip.

“Don’t worry Hinata-chan. I won’t let anything bad happen.”

She bit her plump lip, worrying.”How can you be sure?”

“If you’re going to be my wife, you’re going to have to learn to rely on me. That I’ll do the right thing and protect you. 

Do you believe that HInata?”

The Hyuuga heiress felt her breath catch in her throat, “Y-you want m-me to be your w-wife?”

He reached out to stroke her hair, happiness lighting up his face,”Believe it.”

She smiled. How could she not put her faith in him?  “I do.”

 

* * *

* * *

 

Kabuto wheeled a tray of food up to Izumi’s cell. It had been two days since he fed her.

He hoped smelling the delicious aroma of the food he would never let her taste pushed her closer to the brink he would throw 

her over during his little visit.

After everything he’d done for her, after confiding in her and treating her well, he still couldn’t believe the things she said to him.

Everything he ever told her, she turned around and humiliated him with, like there was no real affection there to begin with.

It wasn’t the first time, but it would damn well be the last he was treated that way by anyone.

As he expected, she heard him coming, her pleads finding his ears before he saw her.

He would tease her with the food, fuck her in the ass dry letting her think she could have some if she complied, then slit her throat

He was all his master needed anyway. In time, he would see that.

* * *

* * *

 

 Izumi began begging the moment she heard the tell tale squeak of the wheels, thankful she had not gone deaf yet.

From outside the cell, it looked like her chains were still applied.

Another day or two without water and her and her child would die.

It hurt to talk at all, the words knives in her dry throat, but she said them anyway.

She never imagined herself being truly thirsty for blood beyond a metaphor, but she would literally need to suck the life

out of him to survive.  She would have to be very lucky. Blind and weak, she didn’t stand much of a chance.

She had to try.

* * *

* * *

 

Nagato Uzumaki stopped just outside the first barrier to the base, noting there were three he would have to breach to make 

his way in. There were also three Uchiha present, and he was told the darkness was within one of the females. 

That brought it down to two, and he wasn’t sure which one. They were located in separate ends of the base, and he would have

to take them both, quickly. Neither were alone.

One was heavily guarded, chakra flowing with contentment, the other distressed and struggling.

He decided to grab the weaker one first.

Nagato did not like the thought of taking an innocent person, but in this case, the end justified the means.

Unlike the battlefield, that day, the one he wanted to take back.

The darkness had given him the eyes.The tablet Fugaku showed him said the Rinnegan was a gift, and for death and destruction, it was. 

Was there truly more?

He would soon find out.

* * *

* * *

 

Itachi smiled at the sight of her shapely leg hanging over the edge of the tub, head back and eyes closed , looking thoroughly 

satisfied, before closing the door and giving her a moment on her own.  Suddenly, he remembered the note Kabuto had handed him. 

He looked through his vest and plucked it out, furrowing his brow at the message.

 

_ Sakura-san- _

 

_ Mother is inside of you. I saw it. I can save you. Tell no one. Please come see me. _

 

 

  * __Kimimaro__



 

 

He stood, forming a clone to watch over his wife. 

“Summon me if someone comes in.”, he instructed. At the clone’s nod, he took his leave.

He was really going to be in hot water if he didn’t tell her about Sasuke’s arrival soon, but her safety came first.

He prayed for just a little more time.

* * *

* * *

The cabin wasn’t far away now. Neji looked inside it with his bloodline limit, reporting.

“She is a prisoner, bound. Yamato-san is feeding her, but she is resisting.”

Sasuke narrowed his eyes,”Any sign he’s aware of our presence?”

Neji shook his head,“No, but I believe she is.”

“Hn.” Sasuke bent down and sprung one of the traps Tenzo set to alert him of their presence. Karin had been captured and

wasn’t a threat right now. Better to deal with the wood user first.  Neji took his stance, seeing the Anbu shinobi adopt a threatening 

one and charge through a new opening he made in the cabin,”He knows we’re here. Get ready.”

As Tenzo came into view, face red and angry, Neji spoke up again.

“Karin-san has escaped. She’s running. Should I give chase?”

Sasuke stifled his groan of frustration. _ Damn her!  _

Drawing his sword, he picked his poison,“No. Yamato comes first. We’ll find her.”

* * *

* * *

 

 

“Fugaku-sama?”, a young Uchiha poked his head through the door.

The Clan head lifted his weary eyes to regard the intrusion to his mountain of paperwork with expectant eyes.

“You have a visitor.”

He waited patiently to be told who. When no answer came, he barked out,”Speak!”

Finally understanding, the officer told him,”Hiashi-sama is here to see you.”

Fugaku nodded,”Bring him in.”

The Hyuuga  glided into the room directly, vibrating with a dangerous aura.

Fugaku raised a brow, questioning.

“Hinata is missing.”, he said tightly. “She didn’t come home last night.”

The Uchiha stood,”Any idea where she might be, Hiashi?”

The robed clan head twisted his hands angrily.

“With Naruto Uzimaki.”

Fugaku wanted to laugh in his face, but kept a firm grasp on the urge, frowning instead.

After all the backhanded insults he had received about his own family, he had to admit this was rich.

“She isn’t sealed?”, he asked. If she were, this would simply be a scandal rather than an actual emergency.

Hiashi scowled,”She is _ married _ and sealed. I want her returned home immediately!”

Fugaku spoke his mind,“Why not tell her husband then?”

He would comb every blade of grass himself the world over if  _ his  _ wife didn’t come home.

Hiashi looked at the floor, clearly embarrassed,”He is out of the village, on a mission with your youngest on order of 

the Hokage.”

Great. He would have to handle this then. Now that she was married, her father had no right to protest, but she was technically 

a missing person.   He silently thanked the gods he didn’t have daughters to fret over.

“I’ll find her.”

* * *

* * *

 

Mikoto got the news shortly after her eyesight was returned to her.

Only the years she had spent containing herself kept her from soaking her new 

eyes with tears.

She asked Izuna for a cup of cocoa after sending off Shisui to find Fugaku. 

When Izuna came back with the carefully made rich drink, Mikoto was gone.

Izuna sat on the bed, dropping her head into her hands.

Maybe telling her was a terrible mistake. The woman had clearly been devastated.

She understood now that Sasuke’s decision to involve himself was for his sibling and his wife too, and possibly for the two of them.

She wished Sasuke was here with her, wondered where he was right now.

He would be able to comfort his mother, talk some sense into her.

She feared Fugaku’s reaction to his missing wife.

There was nothing to do but find her herself.

* * *

* * *

 

 

“Kakashi.” 

He’d fallen asleep in his office again, face planted in the papers he’d yet to have handed to Shikamaru. 

The soft, feminine voice was very familiar in the total darkness of the room.

“Mikoto-san?”

“Hai.”

He didn’t bother to ask her how she got in without alerting his Anbu. She was always more than she seemed.

He blinked the sleep out of his eyes, rubbing a sore spot on his forehead.  “What can I do for you?”

Her voice was firm and resolute,”I want the keys to the archives.”

The Copy nin sighed,”If I say no?”

The woman let out a shaky breath, eyes lighting up like a phantom, “Then you’ll have to catch me. Kill me.”

He opened his drawer after a brief pause of deliberation, dug them out, and flung them to her, knowing she would catch them.

“I don’t know anything.”, he informed her.

“You were always a good boy.”, she said fondly. “I miss our visits.”

He smiled a little under his mask, nostalgia creeping through his veins at the kind woman who showed him mercy as an orphan. 

Who showed she forgave him for letting her best friend die by heaping blankets on him when it was cold and baking and singing to 

him at night through his window when he couldn’t bear to open the door for her.

”It was nice to see you, Mikoto-san. Good luck.”


	46. Changes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mikoto takes a risk, Fugaku visits Naruto, Hiashi discovers he has big problems.

  
  
  


Lady Mayoki woke up to demon eyes that startled her, but only for a moment.

Her first husband stood before her, young again,”Follow me, love.”

It had been so long since she’d seen him in her dreams she was worried she would forget what he looked like.

A bright smile passed over her face as she nodded, went to her closet to get clothes to wear worthy of her title outside.

MIkoto frowned at her delighted smile and soft words from her genjutsu, reminding herself that no matter how angry she 

was at her husband, there may come a day when there is no one to yell at. 

She knew if he could forgive her for this, she would forgive him anything.

The Uchiha matriarch handed the Hyuuga the keys no one but the Hokage and HIashi had, and Lady Mayoki made her way outside.

Mikoto knew she would be caught, locked in a cell for what she was doing. 

She sent up a prayer that her husband would step out into the light, change things enough to make her free someday. 

Her peace within her made, she noticed the dust around Mayoki’s home, remembering the pained way she walked, and found a washcloth.

Mikoto waited for the texts to arrive inside Lady Mayoki’s lonely abode, tidying the place she broke into tonight in apology.

As soon as she put the washcloth away, the old woman returned, books in hand.

Mikoto instructed them to be put on the freshly washed table. 

The instant they struck the wood, she made the signs and slapped her palm down.

They poofed away.

She helped the Hyuuga midwife back into her bed, making certain the woman would experience a beautiful, though imaginary, 

night with her lost husband.  Keys in hand, she shut the door softly behind her.

* * *

* * *

 

Jaraiya sat straight up on the couch. Someone was here.

He stood and scanned the area, listening intently.

Then he noticed it.

A few large books, stacked on the table right in the center.He swore they weren’t here before.

Cautiously approaching, he eyed the spines of the volumes, recognizing the author.

Why in the world would the midwife’s records appear in Itachi’s cabin?

Perhaps Mikoto transported food here for her son, made a mistake and sent these here instead?

_ Oh, that woman could cook. Fugaku is a lucky bastard. _

He decided not to touch them, just in case.

* * *

* * *

 

Naruto’s head was thrown back on the couch, eyes squeezed shut.

Hinataaa.”, he groaned,”Stop, please. I can only take so much! You’re so beautiful and..”

She ground herself on his lap again, throwing the long T shirt over her head in one swift motion before doing it once more.

He whined, bucking his hips and seized her waist.

He was so sweet, wanting to be good for her.  Right now though, she needed him, and she wasn’t taking no for an answer.

 A firm knock was heard,”Uzimaki Naruto?”

Hinata froze, then scrambled for the shirt.

“Just a minute.”, the blonde’s voice croaked out as he made himself a little more presentable, donning his own shirt and 

motioning for Hinata to hide.

An impatient looking Fugaku waited on the other side of his door with a stern face and tapping foot.

“I know she’s here.”, he said, disapproval clear in his voice.

Naruto swallowed. He hadn’t been expecting Sasuke’s dad to show up.  He summoned his courage,”She’s not going back.”

Fugaku shook his head,”She’s a married woman. Spoken for. She has a home, and her family is worried.”

Hinata’s petite but curvy figure came into the clan head’s view then, making him more glad he failed to produce daughters than ever.

”Hinata-san. Come with me.”

Her face was red, but not with shyness, voice trembling,”I was stripped bare before my clansmen, made to lay with my cousin

in plain sight. I won’t go back!”

Surprise flashed in Fugaku’s eyes, but not a muscle moved besides.  He and Mikoto were first cousins, and it was far from 

unusual, but forced and in front of her elders… He had a job to do, however, promised to handle it personally.

He had every intention of bringing it up to Hiashi later. Rape was unacceptable.

”You’ve been reported as a missing person by your _ family _ . You’ll need to come with me.”

Naruto’s jaw clenched,”Like hell she will! She came here because I love her, promised to keep her safe. She couldn’t even 

undo her seal without everyone staring at her at home through the walls!”

A moment after he said it, he realized why everyone lied to him.

Fugaku activated his sharingan.

Hinata threw up her hands, eyes on the floor, “Wait! Please!”

Her breath was coming fast, tearing through her lungs, but if Naruto saw a way out through telling it all now, she would trust him.

“Sasuke-san already knows, Fugaku-sama. What will you do to him? The same thing you do to us?”

When Hinata looked up, the fearsome eyes were obsidian once again, looking conflicted.

If it was Itachi who knew, it would be different, but it was Sasuke.  His youngest son wouldn’t let it stand. 

Especially not when his strange friend was involved.

Fugaku’s sharp mind quickly calculated the consequences.  “Uzumaki.”, he finally said, voice even.

Naruto nodded, “Yeah?”

“What are the laws of your clan, in regards to marriage?”

The blonde looked away, “ I don’t..”

“Are they the same as ours, Naruto-san? You are the last Uzumaki in the village. It’s up to you.”

There would be a rift with the Hyuuga and his own clan now, one that would likely come to blows or worse. 

Denial would not help him at this point. Allies would.  Hinata caught on,”Thank you, Fugaku-sama.”

“Hn.”, the clan head answered, turning to go. “Don’t expect this to go away. When it is your turn to lead, be at peace with us, HInata-san.”

Humbled, Hinata answered him,”I won’t forget this.”

Fugaku walked down the street, eyes on his shoes.

He needed to go home. Tell Mikoto everything before he was ousted and disgraced for his part in things, something 

Hiashi would be sure to scream from the rooftops.

He wasn’t above begging her forgiveness. Hiashi would have to wait until morning.

 

Once he was out of sight, Hinata closed the door, locking it before she rested against it and let out little pants of relief.

“What happened?”, Naruto asked, fully bewildered.

She gave him a relieved and watery smile,“Let’s go see Kakashi-sama.”

* * *

* * *

 

Shisui looked everywhere for Fugaku at the station, clueless as to where else he might be.

Two Hyuuga rushed up to the counter, catching his attention.  They both talked over each other to the clerk, wishing to report a crime. 

He intervened, recalling one of them from his observation of the records building earlier.

“I’ll take a report from this one.”, he said, guiding the rattled Hyuuga in his office.  The young man sat down, looking at his knees.

Shisui took his report pad and pencil in hand and sat at his desk, “What happened?”

The Hyuuga’s pale eyes showed anger and frustration,“Someone has stolen our midwife’s records. We were posted there at 

the record’s building on a tight rotation. No one entered or left that has not been there on a regular basis and had clearance to do so.”

_ How did Izuna do it?,  _ he marveled.  _ I must have missed Uncle somehow on the way here. _

Shisui hummed his understanding, writing it all down. It was clear the sentry truly believed they were only birth records 

hidden away, but had great pride in his job, a pride presently shattered by his failure.

* * *

* * *

 

Izuna found who she was looking for, walking unsteadily in the Uchiha training grounds.

“Mikoto-sama!”, she called , heading straight for her and catching her just before her knees gave out. The elder Uchiha 

woman lifted her hand, depositing a ring of keys into Izuna’s.  “Take me home. Please.”, she gasped out.

Izuna nodded, deciding to ask her questions later, saying only,”Fugaku-sama hasn’t returned yet.”

Then the Uchiha matriarch said the strangest thing,”One more night would be nice. I don’t want him to see it.”

Once she had gotten Mikoto home and comfortable, she put the keys on the table next to the front door. 

She sat with her mother in law, not daring to take her eyes off of her. She didn’t look well, and Izuna wondered what she had 

been out there doing.  Shisui came in soon after, through the garden, a big smile on his face.

“You’re amazing.”, he beamed. “How did you get the books?”

To their surprise, Mikoto accepted the compliment, eyes half mast with exhaustion.”You’re a kind boy, Shisui-kun.

I gave that poor old woman a vision of her husband. She walked in alone, but they’ll probably find out it was me.”

She turned her head to Izuna then, smiling softly,”I’m going to be a grandmother soon, Izuna-chan.” 

Then back to Shisui, smirking,”A very proud aunt as well.”

She promptly fell back asleep.

“Shit.”, Shisui muttered. “Any other bright ideas, Izuna-chan?”

* * *

* * *

When he returned home, Hiashi paced the floor, hoping for any news.

He had watched the two of them for a while, especially the first few days, wondering if they would reveal their marriage

openly to the village or rebel. To his great surprise, they did neither.

His nephew had entered the weapon mistresses bedroom that night, embraced her, and left.

Then avoided her entirely since.

Neji visited Hinata’s room at night, then returned to his own after a few hours.  Once Hiashi had caught him in the hall as 

he was making his way to his own room, asked him why they did not share a bed through the night.

Neji had politely replied that his wife enjoys her privacy at bedtime, but enjoyed the time they spent together, and he was

willing to let her have a peaceful rest if it made her happy.

At first, he had found this suspect.

 Then he heard a guard complain of Hinata’s cries of pleasure during these visits, had found them kissing in the garden with 

his nephew’s hand kneading her waist.

He thought all was well, that they had decided to be happy together instead.

Perhaps he had let his guard down too soon.

Their joining was a rather horrific affair. They were close and Neji was defiant, his daughter in tears.

Her tears turned to immediate compliance when his seal was activated, and though he knew Neji would not have done

it otherwise, who better to protect her and guard her will as heir than him?

He shook his head. Was it terrible of him to wish her safe and cared for? The elders demanded a pure Hyuuga upon word

of his illness, and Hanabi was too young to bear.

There was no better choice. Why were they doing this?

A faint knock was heard,”Hiashi-sama?”

“Yes?”

“We have word from a perimeter guard that Hinata-sama and Neji-san were last seen together at the Uchiha compound.”

“Which house?”

“The manor, Chief Fugaku’s home.” 

Hiashi waved him away,”Neji is on a mission with Uchiha Sasuke. They were likely reviewing the protocol for it.”

The man nodded,”Hai. Afterwards, Hinata-sama was met by Uchiha Shisui near the seal records building. Neji-san was 

spotted fighting him later that night at the training grounds.

The fight was stopped by Uchiha Izuna and Uzimaki Naruto.”

Hiashi narrowed his eyes, “Was this incident reported?”

“No, Hiashi-sama.”

“Who started the fight?”, the clan head asked.

“Neji-san, apparently.”

HIashi swept towards the door,”I will go see his opponent then, get to the bottom of this. Where is Shisui-san now?”

“He just left the precinct. He took the report for the theft in the records building.”

“Theft?”, he inquired. _ It couldn’t be… _

The Hyuuga messenger nodded,”Someone took our family records, less than an hour ago. The police force is investigating.”

In testament to his years as a shinobi, Hiashi was only stunned for a millisecond at the news, quickly making his way to 

the main Uchiha household.

 


	47. Travels

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke and Neji confront Tenzo and come to an accord, Karin realizes it's time to make a choice, Nagato infiltrates the base, Izumi takes her shot at escape, and Itachi ends up far away and with company.  
> Trigger warning- graphic assault in captivity in this chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all ! Sorry it's been a while and a big thanks to everyone who has read this far. Next time we'll be coming back to Konoha to see what's going on there.

When Karin saw him tense, pausing mid sentence in yet another lecture, she prepared herself for a run.

She had  a finger extended on the root that would unravel most of her bonds once her captor expended enough

energy to lose his grip on her strange chains ever since she felt them approach. A single strike here and one behind

her should get her free enough to flee.

Tenzo didn’t spare her a second glance on his way out, completing a series of hand signs and barreling toward the two

shinobi poised to fight him with an indignant growl, eyes locked on the Uchiha. She made the cuts and untangled herself,

running as fast as her legs could carry her.

* * *

* * *

 

_“I’ve put in for a transfer.”_

_Sasuke turned to look her way while he retied his pants, raising an eyebrow in question._

_“One of the Anbu keeps leering at me. He’s so much older. It’s disgusting.”_

_Sasuke shrugged,”He’ll leer at your replacement, too. You should report him.”_

_Oh shit. He had no idea who it was.  What if this pervert would target Sakura too?_

_“Who is he?”_

_Izumi brightened,“The wood user. Yamato-san.”_

_Sakura accompanied Anbu missions sometimes, and he knew she had been on a few runs with Yamato’s team._

_Their old substitute, whenever Kakashi managed to take himself out of commision, had been creepy when they did_

_missions together but in an entirely different way._

_He’d never noticed the wood user leering at Sakura, nothing like that seeming amiss at all._

_Still, one could never be too careful…_

_Maybe he could muster the courage to talk to her alone again, ask her if Yamato made her feel uncomfortable?_

_No, that was a horrible idea. How could he bring something like that up without sounding like a jealous ex or mentioning_

_Izumi?_ _Great, he internally grumbled. Now all he could do was worry that she was being ogled by their old occasional_

_sensei when she came with them. Maybe she was even crying on her former teacher’s shoulder about what an asshole_

_he’d been. Maybe he would listen attentively, start patting her back, and then letting it slide down.._

_Izumi’s voice broke through his paranoia, her eyes narrowed,”He’s close to the Hokage, and I don’t want the end of my_

_Anbu career to be riddled with scandal.”_

_Sasuke snorted. She was so dramatic. “You’re leaving Anbu now?”_

_Izumi nodded, ”I have to. I’m pregnant.”_

 

It was all a game to her.

Sasuke couldn’t help but wonder what kinds of things Yamato had heard about _him_ as he watched the Anbu captain charge.

HIs grip on his sword loosened as he made ready to sidestep Yamato, wishing Naruto was here to talk some sense into the man.

Tenzo ran past Neji in his fury toward the Uchiha, and Sasuke saw the Hyuuga flash step behind the Anbu captain once he did.

A surprised look passed over the wood user’s face, widened eyes rolling into the back of his head before falling to the ground.

He heard two wood clones dropping behind him before they poofed out of existence.

Sasuke looked down on the grass at Yamato, grateful he hadn’t had to hurt him but angry that Neji had showed him up.

Scowling at the Hyuuga now, he pointed out,”He wasn’t even looking at you.”

Neji turned away to hide the smirk on his face, knowing the Uchia heard the clones drop behind him.

”It’s called strategy, Sasuke-san. I know you would have likely handled him, but you knew he was in pain and I could

see your conflict.”

“You decided to spare me that, then?”, Sasuke asked, voice dripping with derision.  

Neji managed a deadpan, turning to face the indignant Uchiha again.

”I pitied you.”

Sasuke tightened his fist, ready to smash it into Neji’s smug face.

“We should take him with us.”, the Hyuuga suggested,”He could help.”

Sasuke paused, wondering if perhaps Neji had already sustained a head injury somehow.

“He just tried to attack me. Why would he help us?”

Neji actually looked...slightly remorseful. “He wants to hear the truth from her. He’ll help us find Orochimaru if we let

him come along, let him talk to her. Won’t you, Yamato-san?”

“Yes.”, Yamato groaned,”if that’s why you’re really here.”

“It is.”, the branch member replied, helping the Anbu captain to his feet.

“What did you want with Karin?”, Sasuke asked.

“Leverage, to find Izumi, the baby.”, Yamato replied, glaring at the ground instead of the Uchiha’s spinning eyes.

Neji’s pale orbs looked back at Yamato,”I promise you will be able to speak to her. I will stay with you until you get

the chance.” Tenzo nodded, not sparing Sasuke a glance. The Uchiha contained his irritation, wanting to scold the wood

user for chasing after a woman more poisonous than a snake.

_Has he no pride?,_ Sasuke wondered. 

As for his son or daughter, the one he would share with Izuna now, he informed ,”The child is none of _your_ concern.”

Through gritted teeth, Yamato replied,”I would’ve cared for the child if you didn’t want it. I would’ve cared for her, too. No

one is worth anything to you unless it furthers your own plans, right Sasuke?”

The sharingan user remained silent. He couldn’t say his brother would kill her anyway, so there would be no woman to care

for. Well, he _could_ , but it would be of no good use. He was certain Neji would counter him if he explained it was clan law for

the child to be raised in the district by at least one Uchiha, because they were both  breaking the clan’s laws now by defying

their elders and revealing clan secrets.

Yamato spoke once again, anger and disgust lacing his voice,”Perhaps you’d rather she married your brother and never

become a mother at all?” 

Suddenly, Yamato’s back was against a tree, spinning sharingan locked onto him and a tight grip on the wood user’s

neck as the Uchiha hissed out, _”Why do you say that?”_

Angry chestnut eyes staring defiantly into his, Yamato hissed back,”Mikoto-san knew! She told me!”

Sasuke froze for a moment before withdrawing his hands and dropping them to his sides.

The Anbu captain shook his head then, a look of disappointment on his face that would have made Sasuke scorn

himself for days when they were younger.

Yamato explained,”What did you expect her to do? Your clan gave her no other way. You all betrayed her first.”

A flash of his father’s face came to Sasuke’s mind, the expression in his eyes when watching Izumi.

Disgust, worry. That had been the plan all along, to chain her to Itachi and give her status so that she would be the last

Yamanaka/Uchiha, the blend dying out. He could see his father and brother knew her to be a threat or a possible ally.

Perhaps the clan head created a situation that she would find agreeable enough to stay in so they could watch and utilize her.

It didn’t work, of course. Izumi had broken off the engagement herself.

“But why did she leave him?", Sasuke asked,"Did Izumi know?”

Yamato didn’t answer, only giving him a strange, searching look.

Neji watched the small changes on Sasuke’s face as he turned over what Yamato said.

Apparently, his mission partner hadn’t known about the blossoming relationship until recently.

“It was Sakura-san, Uchiha.”, Neji answered. “Izumi-san noticed he was falling in love with someone else.”

* * *

* * *

 

Karin kept pushing forward, feeling more relieved with each piece of distance she put between the group of Leaf shinobi

and herself.Turning her attention to a hard sprint on the last leg of her journey, she felt safe enough to flare her chakra to her cousin.

He appeared before her after a few minutes, stopping her dead in her tracks.

The look on his face was grim as he met her eyes, knowing.“Meet us in Snow. Come alone. I’ll be bringing guests.”

Then he disappeared.

Karin stretched her senses, wondering if he was still nearby and if she still had a chance to play the two ends.

 He was inside the base. The game was over.

* * *

* * *

Izumi whimpered again, grasping the shuriken so tightly in her hand against the pain it cut her fingers. He was close.

Normally, she could find a way to enjoy such encounters, but a wild animal lived inside her now. One who was close to

death, who wanted to live. She had never been more thirsty in all her life. If she missed, which was very likely, her and her

child would die here. She needed to hear it, know her possible fate.

“What will you tell Sasuke when his child’s body lays rotting?”, she rasped dryly, wishing for literally anything to soothe the

ache in her panting throat.

Kabuto picked up his pace, applying enough force to have her head landing painfully on the concrete with each thrust.

“It won’t.”, he bit out, gripping her waist until she cried out in agony.”We kept your sister’s baby ….alive without her

…. carrying it. We’ll just….. do it for this one,.... Too.”

That was too much for her to process at the moment, other than there was a chance her child would live, but she herself

was unlikely to. She bowed her back then, his balls slapping heavily against the tops of her thighs, and she widened her legs,

leant on her shoulder to give her a good angle to swipe at him once he was finished with her.

Kabito stilled, groaning, and she made her move, lashing out with her weapon and opening a gash on what she assumed

was his leg. He withdrew from her with an angry screech.

She heard something hit the wall then, hard. Someone else was here.

There wasn’t a sound at all until she heard another voice, felt fingers wrap around her arm.

“Come.”, a deep timbre, filled with absolute confidence, rang through the room. 

“Water.”, she rasped, clutching her throat.

“Soon.”, he replied, just before the vertigo came.

* * *

* * *

 

Itachi took a moment to marvel at the pleasurable possession he felt not long ago as his silent steps padded upon the

stone floor of the hallway. He had never experienced  orgasms that intense, hadn’t thought it possible. He felt peaceful

and warm with a strange sense of accomplishment and completion afterwards, little shocks of arousal still zinging up his

spine at how she had begged to be filled with his spend. It had started so sweetly, still full of affection and adoration as their

quest for satisfaction came to fruition, but she had been desperate in her passion and it seared him.

Her demanding nature in the bedroom coupled with her vulnerable cries of his name once he met those demands made

his blood boil over. Feeling his heat had set her off like a rocket, and he had nearly lost his mind when she had come all

over him, drenching him as she mindlessly rode him, her back held tightly to his chest and his fingers stroking and pinching

her clit as he whispered to her. He had groaned and pushed her on her knees afterwards, firmly rutting into her from behind

as she took sharp, gasping breaths and reached behind her to touch his stomach. 

Then a warmth flowed from her fingers, laced with chakra, danced over the skin of his taut abs.

_Every_ erogenous zone lit up inside then, a shocked gasp escaping him.

He was helpless, lost, too enraptured to wonder how this was happening.

She was burning up inside, so wet, pulsating around him in a way that was making him fully mindless. He tried valiantly

to hold onto himself, to ground himself to the earth, but it was no use. A corner of his lips quirked up at the memory of

what she said then. Before today this command might have saddened him, pushed him away from the edge he was

teetering on, but now there was hope...and there was no harm in practicing.

“I need it all, Itachi-kun, every last drop! Fuck me! Put a baby in me! I need you!!”

The kamis themselves couldn’t keep his sharingan from activating then, glowing hotly as he bent over her, covering her

body with his and enjoying the feel of her skin. His grip on her was firm and his nerves on fire as he came so hard he felt

like he was emptying his very soul into his beautiful wife. 

His strangled cry would have made his ears burn in any other circumstance.

Once he spoke to Kimimaro, he would greet his brother, obtain the solution to the seal and happily indulge in several

repeat performances until they succeeded when he returned to Konoha with his niece or nephew. Sakura had said they

should find out the sex of the baby today. Once she did, he would tell her about Sasuke’s upcoming arrival and the

upheaval coming to the village, and ask her to go back with his little brother until this was over.

HIs heart warmed with the thought of seeing Sasuke again. The younger Uchiha wasn’t fond of overt physical affection.

Maybe if he tapped him on the forehead hard enough the boy would finally give in and allow an embrace for once.

* * *

* * *

Kimimaro watched fondly as Kisame and Saika played cards.

“Now remember, kid,” Kisame advised in all seriousness,”when you see them playing for cash..”

Saika interrupted him with undisguised sass in her voice,”Ask what game they’re playing, tell them I’ve never played

before. You already said that!”

The enormous man chuckled,”I’m glad you’re paying attention. Now..”

A soft knock was heard on the door.

The shark man rolled his eyes and moved to stand,”I’ll get it.”

“Uchiha-sama!”, Saika cried, running to Itachi and wrapping her arms about him. He smiled softly and patted her head.

“Hello Saika-chan. I am glad to see you as well.”

His eyes landed on the hands of cards laid out, the small pile of coins between them, and raised a brow at Kisame.

”Are you teaching her to gamble?”

Kisame huffed,”Nice to meet you too, asshole.” His beady eyes then turned to Kimimaro. “I gotta use the john. Now that

he’s here, you’ll be alright if I’m gone a few minutes?”

The Kaguya nodded, catching Itachi’s gaze as the shark nin walked out of the room.

The Uchiha held up the note between two slender fingers to let Kimimaro know what he wanted to discuss.

“I see.”, Kimimaro said, looking then to the beaming, dark haired girl he was almost well enough to play with again.

“Saika-chan. Can you give Uchiha-sama a few moments to speak with me? It won’t be long. I promise to give you time

with him afterwards.”  The little girl pouted adorably, but minded,”Ok. If you promise.” 

The moment she closed the door behind her, Itachi felt it.

At that moment, it wasn’t the presence of the Uzumaki with the massive chakra and powerful eyes he dreaded most

being in the room with Saika. Though he had considered eliminating the girl, and was still considering it, his heart leapt

into his throat with the knowledge that Izumi was there with her as well.

He ignored Kimimaro’s alarm in his peripheral and bounded into the room to confront them.

He shunshinned directly in front of Saika as the little girl stood her ground yelling,"Get out!"

Saika reached for his hand then, and before he could move away, he heard Nagato’s deep, commanding voice.

”Give her to me.”

Everything before his eyes turned black for a split second, for only a blink, and then he and the young girl were in a land

of vast desert, sand dunes as far as the eye could see. 

  



End file.
